RBC Bearings (RBC) 10-K2024 FY Annual report

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 10-K

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

for the fiscal year ended March 30, 2024

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

for the transition period from __________to _________

Commission file number 001-40840

RBC BEARINGS INCORPORATED

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(203) 267-7001

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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 Section 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 and posted 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 or a smaller reporting company, or 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. (Check one):

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 registrant’s Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant on September 30, 2023 (based on the September 29, 2023 closing sales price of $234.13 of the registrant’s Common Stock, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange) was approximately $6,809,508,876.

As of May 10, 2024, RBC Bearings Incorporated had 29,211,612 shares of Common Stock and 4,600,000 shares of Preferred Stock outstanding.

Documents Incorporated by Reference:

Portions of the registrant’s proxy statement to be filed within 120 days of the close of the registrant’s fiscal year in connection with the registrant’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held September 5, 2024, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

RBC Bearings Incorporated

RBC Bearings Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, is an international manufacturer and marketer of highly engineered precision bearings, components and essential systems for the industrial, defense and aerospace industries. Our precision solutions are integral to the manufacture and operation of most machines and mechanical systems, to reduce wear to moving parts, facilitate proper power transmission, reduce damage and energy loss caused by friction, and control pressure and flow. The terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “RBC” and the “Company” mean RBC Bearings Incorporated and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates another meaning. While we manufacture products in all major categories, we focus primarily on the higher end of the bearing, gearing and engineered component markets where we believe our value-added engineering and manufacturing capabilities, and application expertise enable us to differentiate ourselves from our competitors and enhance profitability. We believe our expertise has enabled us to garner leading positions in many of the product markets in which we primarily compete. With 54 facilities in 11 countries, of which 38 are manufacturing facilities, we have been able to significantly broaden our end markets, products, customer base and geographic reach.

All quantitative data contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Annual Report”) is stated in millions, except for share and per-share data, number of facilities and their locations, square footage, and headcount.

The Bearing, Gearing and Engineered Component Industry

The bearing, gearing and engineered component industry is a fragmented multi-billion-dollar market. Purchasers of bearings, gearings and engineered components include producers of commercial and military aircraft, submarine and vehicle equipment, energy equipment, machinery manufacturers, industrial equipment and machinery manufacturers, construction machinery manufacturers, rail and train equipment manufacturers, packaging and canning machinery manufacturers, agriculture and mining equipment manufacturers, and specialized equipment manufacturers, as well as distributors who service the aftermarket for these products.

Demand for bearings, gearing and precision components in the diversified industrial market is influenced by growth factors in industrial machinery and equipment shipments, and construction, mining, energy, food and beverage, packaging and canning, semiconductor, and general industrial activity. In addition, usage of existing machinery will impact aftermarket demand for replacement products. In the aerospace market, new aircraft build rates along with carrier traffic volume worldwide determines demand for our solutions. Activity in the defense market is influenced by modernization programs necessitating spending on new equipment, as well as continued utilization of deployed equipment supporting aftermarket demand for replacement bearings, gearing and engineered components.

Customers and Markets

We serve a broad range of end markets where we can add value with our specialty precision bearings, essential systems and engineered components. We classify our customers into two principal categories: industrial and aerospace/defense. These principal end markets utilize a large number of both commercial and specialized bearings, gearings and engineered components. Although we provide a relatively small percentage of total bearings, gearings and engineered components supplied to each of our principal markets, we believe we have leading market positions in many of the specialized product markets in which we primarily compete. Financial information regarding geographic areas is set forth in Part II, Item 8, Note 20 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Industrial Market (67% of net sales for the fiscal year ended March 30, 2024)

We manufacture bearings, gearing and engineered components for a wide range of diversified industrial markets, including construction and mining, oil and natural resource extraction, heavy truck, aggregates, rail and train, food and beverage, packaging and canning, material handling, semiconductor machinery, wind, and the general industrial markets. Our products target market applications in which our engineering and manufacturing capabilities provide us with a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Our largest industrial customers include Caterpillar, Komatsu and Halliburton and various aftermarket distributors including Motion Industries, Applied Industrial, Baldwin Supply, BDI and Purvis Industries. We believe that the diversification of our sales among the various segments of the industrial markets and channels reduces our exposure to downturns in any individual segment. We believe opportunities exist for growth and margin improvement in this market as a result of the introduction of new products, the expansion of aftermarket sales, and continued manufacturing process improvements.

Aerospace/Defense Market (33% of net sales for the fiscal year ended March 30, 2024)

We supply bearings and engineered components for use in commercial, private and military aircraft and aircraft engines, guided weaponry, space and satellites, vision and optical systems, and military marine and ground applications.

We supply precision products for many of the commercial aircraft currently operating worldwide and are the primary bearing supplier for many of the aircraft OEMs’ product lines. Commercial aerospace customers generally require precision products, often of special materials, made to unique designs and specifications. Many of our aerospace bearings and engineered component products are designed and certified during the original development of the aircraft being served, which often makes us the primary bearing supplier for the life of that aircraft.

We manufacture bearings and engineered components used by the U.S. Department of Defense (the “DOD”) and certain foreign governments for use in fighter jets, troop transports, naval vessels, helicopters, gas turbine engines, armored vehicles, guided weaponry, spaceflight and satellites. We manufacture an extensive line of standard products that conform to many domestic military application requirements, as well as customized products designed for unique applications. Our bearings and engineered components are manufactured to conform to U.S. military specifications and are typically custom-designed during the original product design phase, which often makes us the sole or primary supplier for the life of that product. Product approval for use on military equipment is often a lengthy process ranging from six months to six years.

Our largest aerospace and defense customers include the U.S. Department of Defense, Boeing, Airbus, Newport News Shipbuilding, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Blue Origin and SpaceX and various aftermarket distributors including National Precision Bearing and Wencor. We believe our strong relationships with OEMs help drive our aftermarket sales since a portion of OEM sales are ultimately intended for use as replacement parts. We believe that growth and margin expansion in this market will be driven primarily by expanding our international presence, new commercial aircraft introductions, new products, share gains, and the refurbishment and maintenance of existing commercial and military aircraft.

In fiscal 2024, approximately 2% of our net sales were made directly, and we estimate that approximately an additional 9% of our net sales were made indirectly, to the U.S. government. The contracts or subcontracts for these sales may be subject to renegotiation of profit or termination at the election of the U.S. government. Based on experience, we believe that no material renegotiations or refunds will be required. See Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors – Future reductions or changes in U.S. government spending could negatively affect our business” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our two reportable business segments are aligned with the end-markets for our products. Operating results for the segments are evaluated regularly by our chief operating decision maker in determining resource allocation and assessing performance. The following table provides a summary of our two reportable business segments:

Products

Bearings, gearing and engineered components are employed to perform several functions including reduction of friction, transfer of motion, carriage of loads, and control of pressure and flows. We design, manufacture and market a broad portfolio of bearings, gearing and engineered components.

Plain Bearings. Plain bearings are primarily used to rectify inevitable misalignments in various mechanical components, such as aircraft controls, helicopter rotors, or heavy mining and construction equipment. Such misalignments are either due to machining inaccuracies or result when components change position relative to each other. Plain bearings are produced with either self-lubricating or metal-to-metal designs and consist of several sub-classes, including rod end bearings, spherical plain bearings and journal bearings.

Roller Bearings. Roller bearings are anti-friction products that utilize cylindrical rolling elements. We produce three main designs: tapered roller bearings, needle roller bearings and needle bearing track rollers, and cam followers. We offer several needle roller bearing designs that are used in both industrial applications and certain U.S. military aircraft platforms where there are high loads and the design is constrained by space considerations. A significant portion of our sales of needle roller bearings is to the aftermarket rather than to OEMs. Needle bearing track rollers and cam followers have wide and diversified use in the industrial market and are often prescribed as a primary component in articulated aircraft wings.

Ball Bearings. Ball bearings are devices that utilize high precision ball elements to reduce friction in high-speed applications. We specialize in four main types of ball bearings: high precision aerospace, airframe control, thin section, and industrial ball bearings. High precision aerospace bearings are primarily sold to customers in the defense industry that require more technically sophisticated bearing products providing a high degree of fault tolerance given the criticality of the applications in which they are used. Airframe control ball bearings are precision ball bearings that are plated to resist corrosion and are qualified under a military specification. Thin section ball bearings are specialized bearings that use extremely thin cross sections and give specialized machinery manufacturers many advantages. We produce a general line of industrial ball bearings sold primarily to the aftermarket.

Mounted Bearings. Mounted bearings are fully assembled bearings with a wide range of shaft attachment methods, rolling elements, housing materials and configurations offering a variety of sealing solutions. Mounted bearing products include mounted ball bearings, mounted roller bearings and mounted plain bearings, and are used in light to heavy loads, and in clean, corrosive or harsh environments. Mounted roller bearings are pre-machined to allow field installation of the Dodge bearing sensor, adding remote monitoring capability in difficult to access applications and unsafe environments. Applications include unit and bulk material handling, industrial air handling, large rotor fans, food processing, roll-out tables, and forest pulp and paper processing equipment.

Enclosed Gearing. We provide a broad range of enclosed gearing product lines including Quantis Gearmotor (helical style gearing with modular configurations and a variety of mounting methods), Torque Arm (shaft-mount gearing with helical style gearing and v-belt input for first stage reduction), Tigear (single reduction, right angle gear reducers with worm style gearing), MagnaGear & Maxum (parallel reducers with helical and planetary style gearing) and Controlled Start Transmission (planetary style gearing with hydraulic clutch package used for soft starting large conveyors). Applications include unit and bulk handling, food processing, roll-out tables, and forest pulp and paper processing equipment.

Motion Control Components. Power transmission components are of three types: mechanical drive components (offering V belt sheaves, synchronous sprockets, bushings and belts) used to change rotational speed between two pieces of equipment; couplings used to transmit torque between two rotating pieces of equipment, such as a motor and a gearbox; and conveyor components, which transfer torque from the mechanical drive equipment to the conveyor belt in bulk material handling applications. Applications include unit and bulk material handling, industrial air handling, large rotor fans, food processing, roll-out tables, and forest pulp and paper processing equipment. We also provide actuation components to customers within our commercial aerospace and space markets.

Engineered Components. Engineered components include highly engineered hydraulics and valves, fasteners, precision mechanical components and machine tool collets. Engineered hydraulics and valves are used in aircraft and submarine applications and aerospace and defense aftermarket services. Precision mechanical components are used in all general industrial applications where some form of movement is required. Machine tool collets are cone-shaped metal sleeves used for holding circular or rod-like pieces in a lathe or other machine that provide effective part holding and accurate part location during machining operations.

Product Design and Development

We produce specialized bearings and engineered components that are often tailored to the specifications of a customer or application. Our sales professionals are highly experienced engineers who collaborate with our customers to develop bearing and engineered component solutions. The product development cycle can follow many paths, which are dependent on the end market or sales channel. The process normally takes between three and six years from concept to sale depending upon the application and the market. A typical process for a major OEM project begins when our design engineers meet with the customer at the machine design conceptualization stage and work with them through the conclusion of the product development.

Often, at the early stage, a bearing or engineered component design is produced that addresses the expected demands of the application including load, stress, heat, thermal gradients, vibration, lubricant supply, pressure and flows, and corrosion resistance, with one or two of these environmental constraints being predominant in the design consideration. A bearing or engineered component design must perform reliably for the period of time required by the customer’s product objectives.

Once a bearing or engineered component is designed, a mathematical simulation is created to replicate the expected application environment and thereby allow optimization with respect to these design variables. Upon conclusion of the design and simulation phase, samples are produced and laboratory testing commences at one of our test laboratories. The purpose of this testing phase is not only to verify the design and the simulation model but also to allow further design improvement where needed. The last phase is field testing by the customer, after which the product is ready for sale.

For many of our Aerospace/Defense products, the culmination of this lengthy process is the receipt of a product approval or certification, generally obtained from either the OEM, the DOD or the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”), which allows us to supply the product to the OEM customer and to the aftermarket. We currently have a significant number of such approvals, which often gives us a competitive advantage, and in many of these instances we are the only approved supplier of a given bearing or engineered component.

Manufacturing and Operations

Our manufacturing strategies are focused on product reliability, quality, safety and service. Custom and standard products are produced according to manufacturing schedules that ensure maximum availability of popular items for immediate sale while carefully considering the economies of lot production and special products. Capital programs and manufacturing methods development are focused on quality improvement, production costs, safety and service. A monthly review of product line production performance assures an environment of continuous attainment of profitability and quality goals.

Capacity. Our plants currently run on a full first shift with second and third shifts at select locations to meet the demands of our customers. We believe that current capacity levels and future annual estimated capital expenditures on equipment up to approximately 3.0% to 3.5% of net sales should permit us to effectively meet demand levels for the foreseeable future.

Inventory Management. We operate an inventory management program designed to balance customer delivery requirements with economically optimal inventory levels. In this program, each product is categorized based on characteristics including order frequency, number of customers and sales volume. Using this classification system, our primary goal is to maintain a sufficient supply of standard items while minimizing costs. In addition, production cost savings are achieved by optimizing plant scheduling around inventory levels and customer delivery requirements. This leads to more efficient utilization of manufacturing facilities and minimizes plant production changes while maintaining sufficient inventories to service customer needs.

Sales, Marketing and Distribution

Our marketing strategy is aimed at increasing sales within our two primary markets, targeting specific applications in which we can exploit our competitive strengths. To affect this strategy, we seek to expand into geographic areas not previously served by us and we continue to capitalize on new markets and industries for existing and new products. We employ a technically proficient sales force and utilize marketing managers, product managers, customer service representatives and product application engineers in our selling efforts.

We have developed our sales force through the hiring of sales personnel with prior industry experience, complemented by an in-house training program. We intend to continue to hire and develop expert sales professionals and strategically locate them to implement our expansion strategy. Today, our direct sales force is located to service North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America and is responsible for selling all of our products. This selling model leverages our relationship with key customers and provides opportunities to market multiple product lines to both established and potential customers. We also sell our products through a well-established, global network of industrial and aerospace distributors. This channel primarily provides our products to smaller OEM customers, aftermarket customers and the end users of bearings and engineered components that require local inventory and service. We intend to continue to focus on building distributor sales volume.

The Company has a joint venture in North America focused on joint warehouse and transportation logistics and e-business services. This joint venture, CoLinx, LLC (“CoLinx”), includes five equity members: Timken, SKF Group, Schaeffler Group, RBC Bearings Incorporated and Gates Industrial Corp. The e-business service focuses on information and business services for authorized distributors in the Industrial segment.

The sale of our products is supported by a well-trained and experienced customer service organization, which provides customers with instant access to key information regarding their purchases. We also provide customers with updated information through our website, and we have developed on-line integration with specific customers, enabling more efficient ordering and timely order fulfillment for those customers.

We store product inventory in warehouses located in the Midwest, Southwest and on the East and West coasts of the U.S. as well as in Australia, Canada, France, India, Mexico, the People’s Republic of China, England and Switzerland. The inventory is located in these locations based on analysis of customer demand to provide superior service and product availability.

Competition

Our principal competitors include SKF, New Hampshire Ball Bearings, Regal Rexnord, NORD and Timken, although we compete with different companies for each of our product lines. We believe that for the majority of our products, the principal competitive factors affecting our business are product qualifications, product line breadth, service, quality and price. Although some of our current and potential competitors may have greater financial, marketing, personnel and other resources than us, we believe that we are well-positioned to compete with regard to each of these factors in each of the markets in which we operate.

Product Qualifications. Many of the products we produce are qualified for the application by the OEM, the DOD, the FAA, the user or a combination of these. These credentials have been achieved for thousands of distinct items after years of design, testing and improvement. Applicable Dodge products are compliant as required with related communications, safety, and Ex certifications for use in North America, Mexico, the EU, as well as other select international locations. Several of our products are protected by patents, and we believe that in many cases we have strong brand identity or we are the sole source for products for a particular application.

Product Line Breadth. Our products encompass a broad range of designs which often create a critical mass of complementary bearings, essential systems and engineered components for our markets. This position provides many of our industrial and aerospace customers with a single manufacturer to provide the engineering service and product breadth needed to achieve a series of OEM design objectives and/or aftermarket requirements. This enhances our value to the OEM considerably while strengthening our overall market position.

Service. Product design, performance, reliability, availability, quality, and technical and administrative support are elements that define the service standard for this business. Our customers are sophisticated and demanding, as our products are fundamental and enabling components to the manufacturing or operation of their machinery. We maintain inventory levels of our most popular items for immediate sale and service. Our customers have high expectations regarding product availability and quality, and the primary emphasis of our service efforts is to provide the widest possible range of available products delivered on a timely basis.

Price. We believe our products are priced competitively in the markets we serve and we continually evaluate our manufacturing and other operations to maximize efficiencies in order to maintain competitive prices while maximizing our profit margins. We invest considerable effort to develop our price-to-value algorithms and we price to market levels where required by competitive pressures.

Joint Ventures

Investments in affiliated companies accounted for under the equity method at March 30, 2024 and April 1, 2023 were $0.6 and $0.6, respectively, and were reported within other noncurrent assets on the consolidated balance sheets.

Suppliers and Raw Materials

We obtain raw materials, component parts and supplies from a variety of sources and generally from more than one supplier. Our principal raw materials are steel and cast iron. Our suppliers and sources of raw materials are based in the U.S., Europe and Asia. We purchase steel at market prices, which fluctuate as a result of supply and demand driven by economic conditions in the marketplace. For further discussion of the possible effects of changes in the cost of raw materials on our business, see Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Backlog

Our order backlog, as of March 30, 2024, was $726.1 compared to $663.8 as of April 1, 2023. These figures exclude orders from our Sargent marine and Sargent aerospace businesses that are expected to be fulfilled more than 12 months after the balance sheet dates. Including all orders from our Sargent marine and Sargent aerospace businesses, our backlog as of March 30, 2024 was $821.5 compared to $759.4 as of April 1, 2023. Many of our orders are fulfilled immediately after the order has been placed by the customer and would not be seen in our backlog at the end of a reporting period. Orders included in our backlog are subject to cancellation, delay or modifications by our customers prior to fulfillment. We sell many of our products pursuant to contractual agreements, single-source relationships or long-term purchase orders, each of which may permit early termination by the customer. However, we believe that the unique nature of many of our products prevents other suppliers from being able to satisfy customer orders on a timely or cost-effective basis, thereby making it impracticable for our customers to shift their purchase of these products to other suppliers.

Human Capital

RBC employs 5,302 people worldwide. Of that, 3,738 are employed at our 35 U.S. facilities and 1,564 are employed at our 19 international facilities located in Canada, Mexico, France, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, India, Australia, China and England. The majority of our personnel are RBC employees rather than independent contractors, temporaries or third-party labor provider personnel.

Our human capital objective is to attract and retain high-performing people who can work in a culture that fosters innovation and continuous improvement. To achieve that objective, we maintain an aggressive talent recruitment program, a fair and competitive compensation program, an on-going training and development program, and an ethical and safe work environment.

Talent Recruitment. Critical to our success is that we have a deep and talented pool of engineers who oversee the production of our current products to the highest standards, work directly with customers on applications, and direct the research and development for new products. To maintain that talent pool, we actively recruit engineers from over 40 colleges and universities around the U.S. In addition, we have developed deep collaborative relationships with a select group of schools, including internship and trainee programs with several of these schools.

Compensation. We offer fair and competitive compensation to our employees. Our employee benefits package includes medical, dental and vision coverage, life insurance, supplemental disability coverage, and 401(k) and supplemental employee retirement plans. In addition, participation in our long-term equity incentive plan goes very deep in our organization, providing employees with equity compensation/awards that they might not receive if they worked for one of our competitors.

Training. An important part of achieving our human capital objective is our in-house training programs – RBC University, Materials University, Mechanical Engineering Training and the Customer, Application, Product Training (CAPT) Program. These programs provide our employees with a uniform foundation regarding how we do business, expand their subject matter expertise, and develop the various leadership positions across our organization, including plant management and general management. We also offer a tuition reimbursement program for many employees wishing to further their classroom education in their chosen field.

Ethics. We expect our personnel to conduct the business of RBC in a legal and ethical manner. To ensure that they do that, our people are required to comply at all times with our corporate Code of Conduct, which among other things requires them to:

Workplace Safety. Safety is of paramount importance to RBC and so we go to great lengths in striving for a zero-incident workplace that is consistent with our mandate to produce the highest quality, highly engineered components for our customers. Our general managers and operations managers are charged with creating and maintaining the highest standards of safety for employees, visitors and the local community through the use of industry best practices at their facilities. Monthly, each of our facilities reports to senior leadership on key safety metrics and we maintain a proactive approach in assessing and mitigating risk through root cause analysis, communication, training and teamwork.

Intellectual Property

We own U.S. and foreign patents and trademark registrations and U.S. copyright registrations and have U.S. trademark and patent applications pending. We file patent applications and maintain patents to protect certain technology, inventions and improvements that are important to the development of our business, and we file trademark applications and maintain trademark registrations to protect product names that have achieved brand-name recognition among our customers. We also rely upon trade secrets, know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position. Many of our brands are well recognized by our customers and are considered valuable assets of our business. We do not believe, however, that any individual item of intellectual property is material to our business.

Regulation

Product Approvals. Essential to servicing the aerospace and defense markets is the ability to obtain product approvals. We have a substantial number of product approvals in the form of OEM approvals or Parts Manufacturer Approvals, or “PMAs,” from the FAA. We also have a number of active PMA applications in process. These approvals enable us to provide products used in virtually all domestic aircraft platforms presently in production or operation.

We are subject to various other federal laws, regulations and standards. New laws, regulations or standards or changes to existing laws, regulations or standards could subject us to significant additional costs of compliance or liabilities, and could result in material reductions to our results of operations, cash flow or revenues.

Environmental Matters

We are subject to federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations, including those governing discharges of pollutants into the air and water, the storage, handling and disposal of wastes and the health and safety of employees. We also may be liable under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act or similar state laws for the costs of investigation and clean-up of contamination at facilities currently or formerly owned or operated by us, or at other facilities at which we have disposed of hazardous substances. In connection with such contamination, we may also be liable for natural resource damages, U.S. government penalties and claims by third parties for personal injury and property damage. Agencies responsible for enforcing these laws have authority to impose significant civil or criminal penalties for non-compliance. We believe we are currently in material compliance with all applicable requirements of environmental laws. We do not anticipate material capital expenditures for environmental compliance in fiscal year 2025.

Available Information

We file our annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements, and other documents with the Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The public may read and copy any materials filed with the SEC at the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy at 100F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Office of Investor Education and Advocacy by calling the SEC at 1–800–SEC–0330. Also, the SEC maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The public can obtain any documents that are filed by us at http://www.sec.gov.

In addition, this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, any amendments to any of the foregoing reports, and our governance documents, are made available free of charge on our website (http://www.rbcbearings.com) as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. Copies of the above reports and documents will also be provided free of charge upon written request to us.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Cautionary Statement as to Forward-Looking Information

This report includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of federal and state securities laws, including: projections of earnings, cash flows, revenue or other financial items; statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; statements concerning proposed new services or developments; statements regarding future economic conditions or performance or future growth rates in the markets we serve; statements regarding future raw material costs or supply; statements of belief; and statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Forward-looking statements may include the words “may,” “could,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “continue,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate” or other comparable terminology, or the negative of such terms.

Although we believe that the expectations and assumptions reflected in any of our forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results could differ materially from those projected or assumed in any of our forward-looking statements. Our future financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows, as well as any forward-looking statements, are subject to change and to inherent risks and uncertainties, such as those disclosed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Factors that could cause our actual results, performance and achievements or industry results to differ materially from estimates or projections contained in forward-looking statements include, among others, the following:

These and additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements are set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K under Part I, Item 1. “Business,” Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors,” Part II, Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and Part II, Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” All forward-looking statements contained in this report and any subsequently filed reports are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements.

We have no duty to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this report to conform such statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations. You are advised, however, to review any disclosures we make on related subjects in our future periodic filings with the SEC.

Risk Factors Relating to Our Company

Our business, operating results, cash flows or financial condition could be materially adversely affected by any of the following risks. The trading price of our common stock or preferred stock could decline due to any of these risks, and you could lose all or part of your investment. You should carefully consider these risks before investing in shares of our common stock or preferred stock.

The Company’s failure to maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could result in material misstatements in our financial statements and a failure to meet our reporting and financial obligations, each of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and the trading price of our common stock.

A material weakness in a company’s internal control over financial reporting is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of that company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

During the first quarter of fiscal year 2023, the Company’s management identified a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting related to the design of our control to consider all relevant terms within executive employment agreements and the related application of relevant authoritative accounting guidance for stock-based compensation, a non-cash item. Management then re-evaluated its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting and its disclosure controls and procedures and concluded that they were not effective as of April 2, 2022, making it necessary for the Company to restate the financial statements for fiscal years 2022, 2021 and 2020. Although we have remediated this material weakness, there can be no assurance that additional material weaknesses will not occur in the future.

If the Company is unable to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, our ability to record, process and report financial information timely and accurately could be adversely affected, which could subject the Company to litigation or investigations, require management resources, increase costs, negatively affect investor confidence and adversely impact our stock price.

The bearings, engineered components and essential systems industries are highly competitive, and competition could reduce our profitability or limit our ability to grow.

The global bearings, engineered components and essential systems industries are highly competitive, and we compete with many U.S. and non-U.S. companies, some of which benefit from lower labor costs and fewer regulatory burdens than us. We compete primarily based on product qualifications, product line breadth, service and price. Certain competitors may be better able to manage costs than us or may have greater financial resources than we have. Due to the competitiveness in the bearings, engineered components and essential systems industries we may not be able to increase prices for our products to cover increases in our costs, and we may face pressure to reduce prices, which could materially reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability. Competitive factors, including changes in market penetration, increased price competition and the introduction of new products and technology by existing and new competitors, could result in a material reduction in our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

The loss of a major customer, or a material adverse change in a major customer’s business, could result in a material reduction in our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

Our top ten customers collectively accounted for approximately 44%, 41% and 36% of our net sales during fiscal 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Accordingly, the loss of one or more of those customers or a substantial decrease in those customers’ purchases from us could result in a material reduction in our revenues, cash flows and profitability. If one of our major customers were to experience an adverse change in its business, that customer could reduce its purchases from us.

The consolidation and combination of manufacturers could eliminate customers and/or put downward pricing pressures on sales of component parts. For example, the consolidation that has occurred in the defense industry in recent years has reduced the overall number of defense contractors. In addition, if one of our customers is acquired or merged with another entity, the new entity may discontinue using us as a supplier because of an existing business relationship between one of our competitors and the acquiring company, or because it may be more efficient to consolidate certain suppliers within the newly formed enterprise. The significance of the impact that such consolidations could have on our business is difficult to predict because we do not know when or if one or more of our customers will engage in merger or acquisition activity. However, if such activity involved our material customers it could materially impact our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

Weakness in any of the industries in which our customers operate, as well as the cyclical nature of our customers’ businesses generally, could materially reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

The mining and construction equipment and other diversified industrial industries to which we sell our products are, to varying degrees, cyclical and tend to decline in response to overall declines in industrial production. Margins in those industries are highly sensitive to demand cycles, and our customers (or our customers’ customers) in those industries historically have tended to delay large capital purchases and projects, including expensive maintenance and upgrades, during economic downturns. As a result, our business is also cyclical, and the demand for our products by these customers depends, in part, on overall levels of industrial production, general economic conditions, and business confidence levels. Many of our customers have historically experienced periodic downturns, which often have had a negative effect on demand for our products. Future downward economic cycles or customer downturns could reduce sales of our products resulting in reductions in our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

Future reductions or changes in U.S. government spending could negatively affect our business.

In fiscal 2024, approximately 2% of our net sales were made directly, and we estimate that approximately an additional 9% of our net sales were made indirectly, to the U.S. government to support military or other government projects. Our failure (or the failure of our customers that are prime contractors to the government) to obtain new government contracts, the cancellation of government contracts relating to our products, or reductions in federal budget appropriations for programs in which our products are used could materially reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability. A reduction in federal budget appropriations relating to our products could result from a shift in government defense spending to other programs in which we are not involved or a reduction in U.S. government defense spending generally (due to budget reduction initiatives or a shift in government spending priorities).

Fluctuating supply and costs of subcomponents, raw materials and energy resources, or the imposition of import tariffs, could materially reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

Our business is dependent on the availability and costs of subcomponents, raw materials, particularly steel (generally in the form of stainless and chrome steel, which are commodity steel products), and energy resources. The availability and prices of subcomponents, raw materials and energy resources may be subject to change due to, among other things, new laws or regulations, economic inflation, suppliers’ allocations to other purchasers, interruptions in production or deliveries by suppliers and changes in exchange rates and supplier costs and profit expectations. The United States has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, and could impose tariffs on other items that we import, which could increase the cost of raw materials and decrease the available supply. Although we currently maintain alternative supply sources, our business is subject to the risk of price fluctuations and periodic delays in the delivery of certain subcomponents or raw materials. Disruptions in the supply of subcomponents, raw materials or energy resources could temporarily impair our ability to manufacture our products for our customers or require us to pay higher prices in order to obtain these items from other sources, which could thereby affect our net sales and profitability.

Where our customer contracts permit us to do so, we seek to pass through a significant portion of our additional costs to our customers through steel surcharges or price increases. However, many of our contracts are fixed-price contracts under which we are not able to pass these additional costs on to our customers. Even where we are able to pass these steel surcharges or price increases to our customers, there may be a lag of several months between the time we experience a cost increase and the time we are able to implement surcharges or price increases, particularly for orders already in our backlog. Competitive pressures and the terms of certain of our long-term contracts may require us to absorb at least part of these cost increases. As a result, our gross margin percentage could decline. We cannot provide assurances that we will be able to continue to pass these additional costs on to our customers at all or on a timely basis or that our customers will not seek alternative sources of supply if there are significant or prolonged increases in the price of subcomponents or other raw materials or energy resources.

Our results could be impacted by governmental trade policies and tariffs relating to our supplies imported from foreign vendors or our finished goods exported to other countries.

From time to time, the U.S. government has imposed tariffs on the importation of various products that we use to produce our finished goods, and various foreign countries, including the People’s Republic of China, have or could impose retaliatory tariffs on our products exported to those countries. While this situation has not had a material adverse effect on our business in the past, future tariffs on our foreign-sourced supplies and/or our finished goods exported to other countries could adversely impact our operating costs or demand for our products.

Some of our products and operations are subject to certain approvals and government regulations and the loss of such approvals, or our failure to comply with such regulations, could materially reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

Essential to servicing the aerospace market is the ability to obtain product approvals. We have a substantial number of product approvals, which enable us to provide products used in virtually all domestic aircraft platforms presently in production or operation. Product approvals are typically issued by the FAA to designated OEMs who are Production Approval Holders of FAA-approved aircraft. These Production Approval Holders provide quality control oversight and generally limit the number of suppliers directly servicing the commercial aerospace market. Regulations enacted by the FAA provide for an independent process (the PMA process) that enables suppliers who currently sell their products to the Production Approval Holders to also sell products to the aftermarket. Our foreign sales may be subject to similar approvals or U.S. export control restrictions. We cannot assure you that we will not lose approvals for our aerospace products in the future. The loss or suspension of product approvals could result in lost sales and materially reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

The repair and overhaul of aircraft parts and accessories throughout the world is highly regulated by government agencies, including the FAA. Our repair and overhaul operations are subject to certification pursuant to regulations established by the FAA and foreign government agencies, with regulations varying from country to country, although compliance with FAA requirements generally satisfies regulatory requirements in other countries. Our failure to comply with these regulations, or our compliance with new and more stringent government regulations, if enacted, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

As a U.S. government contractor, we are subject to various procurement and other laws, regulations and contract terms applicable to our industry, including the FAR, the DFARS, the Truth in Negotiations Act, the False Claims Act, the Procurement Integrity Act, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations promulgated under the Arms Export Control Act, the Close the Contractor Fraud Loophole Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and CAS, and we could be adversely affected by any negative finding by the U.S. government as to our compliance with them, including suspension or debarment from future government contracting.

The retirement of commercial aircraft could reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

We sell replacement parts used in the repair and overhaul of jet engine and aircraft components, as well as provide such repair and overhaul services ourselves. As aircraft or engines for which we offer replacement parts or repair and overhaul services are retired, demand for these parts and services could decline and could reduce our revenue, cash flows and profitability.

Risks associated with utilizing information technology systems could adversely affect our operations.

We rely upon our information technology (“IT”) systems to process, transmit and store electronic information to manage and operate our business. Further, in the ordinary course of business we store sensitive data, including intellectual property, on our networks. The secure maintenance and transmission of this information is critical to our business operations.

We may face cyber events and other IT security threats, including malware, ransomware, phishing and other intrusions, to our IT infrastructure, attempts to gain unauthorized access to proprietary, classified or confidential information, and threats to the physical security of our IT systems. As a U.S. government contractor, our risk of cyber events may be greater than the risk faced by other companies that are not government contractors. In addition to security threats, our IT systems may also be subject to network, software or hardware failures. The unavailability of our IT systems, the failure of these systems to perform as anticipated, or any significant breach of data security could cause loss of data, disrupt our operations, require significant management attention and resources, subject us to liability to third parties or regulatory actions or contract termination, and negatively impact our reputation among our customers and the public, which could have a negative impact on our financial and competitive position, results of operations and liquidity. In addition, our business with our customers and vendors could be impacted by cyber events on their IT systems.

To address the risk to our IT systems and data, we maintain an IT security program designed to resist cyber events and to mitigate the damage from successful events. Refer to Part I, Item 1C of this Annual Report for details regarding our data protection and cybersecurity risk management program.

Work stoppages and other labor problems could materially reduce our ability to operate our business.

We currently have three collective bargaining agreements covering employees at our Plymouth, Indiana, Fairfield, Connecticut and West Trenton, New Jersey facilities, representing approximately 7% of our U.S.-based hourly employees as of March 30, 2024. While we believe our relations with our employees are satisfactory, the inability to satisfactorily negotiate and enter into new collective bargaining agreements upon expiration, or a lengthy strike or other work stoppage at any of our facilities, particularly at some of our larger facilities, could materially reduce our ability to operate our business. In addition, any attempt by our employees not currently represented by a union to join a union could result in additional expenses, including with respect to wages, benefits and pension obligations.

In addition, work stoppages at one or more of our customers or suppliers (including suppliers of transportation services), many of which have large unionized workforces, could also cause disruptions to our business that we cannot control, and these disruptions could materially reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

Unexpected equipment failures or catastrophic events could increase our costs and reduce our sales due to production curtailments or shutdowns.

Our manufacturing processes are dependent upon critical pieces of turning, milling, grinding, and electrical equipment, and this equipment could, on occasion, be out of service as a result of unanticipated failures. In addition to equipment failures, our facilities are also subject to the risk of catastrophic loss due to unanticipated events such as fires, explosions, earthquakes or violent weather conditions. In the future, we could experience material plant shutdowns or periods of reduced production as a result of these types of equipment failures or catastrophes. Interruptions in production capabilities would inevitably increase our production costs and reduce revenues, cash flows and profitability for the affected period.

We may not be able to continue to make the acquisitions necessary for us to realize our growth strategy.

The acquisition of businesses that complement or expand our operations is an important element of our business strategy. We frequently engage in evaluations of potential acquisitions and negotiations for possible acquisitions, some of which, if consummated, could be significant to us. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in identifying attractive acquisition candidates or completing acquisitions on favorable terms in the future. Our inability to acquire businesses, or to operate them profitably once acquired, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, cash flow and growth.

Our ability to realize anticipated benefits and synergies from our acquisitions could be affected by a number of factors, including: the need for greater than expected cash or other financial resources or management time in order to implement or integrate acquisitions; increases in other expenses related to an acquisition, including restructuring and other exit costs; the timing and impact of purchase accounting adjustments; difficulties in employee or management integration, including labor disruptions or disputes; and unanticipated liabilities associated with acquired businesses.

Any potential cost-saving opportunities may take several quarters following an acquisition to implement, and any results of these actions may not be realized for several quarters thereafter, if at all.

Businesses that we acquire may have liabilities for which we are liable.

In order to complete an acquisition, it may be necessary for us to assume the liabilities of the acquired business. These liabilities may be known at the time of the acquisition, but could be underestimated by us, or they may not be known to us until after the acquisition. In the case of an acquisition in which we do not assume all the liabilities of the acquired business, we typically obtain indemnification from the seller against the unassumed liabilities, although no assurance can be given that such indemnification will be sufficient in amount, scope or duration to fully offset the risk of the unassumed liabilities. Liabilities of acquired businesses that ultimately are borne by us (either because we assume them or our indemnification right proves to be insufficient or unenforceable) could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, after we complete an acquisition we may learn of other matters that adversely affect us, such as issues relating to the acquired business’s compliance with applicable laws, or issues relating to its supply chain, customer relationships or order demand.

Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles comprise a significant portion of our total assets, and if we determine that goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles have become impaired in the future, our results of operations and financial condition in such years may be materially and adversely affected.

Goodwill represents the excess of cost over the fair market value of net assets acquired in business combinations. Indefinite-lived intangibles represent repair station certifications obtained in business combinations and assumed to have indefinite lives. As of March 30, 2024, we had $1,874.9 of goodwill and $24.3 of indefinite-lived intangibles, representing approximately 41% of our total assets. We review goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles at least annually for impairment and any excess in carrying value over the estimated fair value is charged to the results of operations. Our estimates of fair value are based on assumptions about the future operating cash flows, growth rates, discount rates applied to these cash flows, and current market estimates of value. If we are required to record a charge to earnings because of an impairment of goodwill or indefinite-lived intangibles, our results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

We depend heavily on our senior management and other key personnel, the loss of whom could materially affect our financial performance and prospects.

Our business is managed by a number of key personnel, including our CEO Dr. Michael J. Hartnett. Our future success will depend on, among other things, our ability to retain the services of these personnel and to hire their successors and other highly qualified employees at all levels.

Our international operations are subject to risks inherent in such activities.

We have operations in Australia, England, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, the Peoples Republic of China, Poland and Switzerland. Of our 54 facilities in 11 countries, 19 are located outside the U.S., including 10 manufacturing facilities in four countries.

In fiscal 2024, approximately 12% of our net sales were generated by our international operations. We expect that this proportion is likely to increase as we seek to increase our penetration of foreign markets, including through acquisitions. Our foreign operations are subject to the risks inherent in such activities such as: currency devaluations, logistical and communication challenges, costs of complying with a variety of foreign laws and regulations, greater difficulties in protecting and maintaining our rights to intellectual property, difficulty in staffing and managing geographically diverse operations, acts of terrorism or war or other acts that may cause social disruption which are difficult to quantify or predict, and general economic conditions in these foreign markets. Our international operations may be negatively impacted by changes in government policies, such as changes in laws and regulations, restrictions on imports and exports, sources of supply, duties or tariffs, the introduction of measures to control inflation, and changes in the rate or method of taxation. To date we have not experienced significant difficulties with the foregoing risks associated with our international operations.

Currency translation risks may have a material impact on our results of operations.

The majority of our foreign operations utilize the local currency as their functional currency. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in earnings. Foreign currency transaction exposure arises primarily from the transfer of foreign currency from one subsidiary to another within the group and to foreign currency-denominated trade receivables. Unrealized currency translation gains and losses are recorded on the balance sheet upon translation of the foreign operations’ functional currency to the reporting currency. Because our financial statements are denominated in U.S. dollars, changes in currency exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the currencies used by our international operations have had, and will continue to have, an impact on our earnings. We periodically enter into derivative financial instruments such as forward exchange contracts to reduce the effect of fluctuations in exchange rates on certain third-party sales transactions denominated in non-functional currencies. Currency fluctuations may affect our financial performance in the future and we cannot predict the impact of future exchange rate fluctuations on our results of operations. See Part II, Item 7A. “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk—Foreign Currency Exchange Rates” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We may incur material losses for product liability and recall-related claims.

We are subject to a risk of product and recall-related liability in the event that the failure, use or misuse of any of our products results in personal injury, death or property damage or our products do not conform to our customers’ specifications. In particular, our products are installed in a number of types of vehicle fleets, including airplanes, helicopters, trains, automobiles, heavy trucks and farm equipment, many of which may be subject to government-ordered recalls as well as voluntary recalls by the manufacturer. If one of our products is found to be defective, causes a fleet to be disabled or otherwise results in a product recall, significant claims may be brought against us. We currently maintain insurance coverage for product liability claims but not for recall-related claims. We cannot assure you that product liability claims, if made, would not exceed our insurance coverage limits. Claims that are not covered by insurance, or that exceed insurance coverage limits, could result in material losses. Claims that are covered by insurance could result in increased future insurance costs.

Our intellectual property and proprietary information are valuable, and any inability to protect them could adversely affect our business and results of operations; in addition, we may be subject to infringement claims by third parties.

Our ability to compete effectively is dependent upon our ability to protect and preserve the intellectual property and proprietary information owned, licensed or otherwise used by us. We have numerous U.S. and foreign trademark registrations and patents. We also have U.S. and foreign trademark and patent applications pending. We cannot assure you that our pending trademark and patent applications will result in trademark registrations and issued patents, and our failure to secure rights under these applications may limit our ability to protect the intellectual property rights that these applications were intended to cover. Although we have attempted to protect our intellectual property and proprietary information both in the United States and in foreign countries through a combination of patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret protection, and non-disclosure agreements, these steps may be insufficient to prevent unauthorized use of our intellectual property and proprietary information, particularly in foreign countries where the protection available for such intellectual property and proprietary information may be limited. We cannot assure you that any of our intellectual property rights will not be infringed upon or that our trade secrets will not be misappropriated or otherwise become known to or independently developed by competitors. We may not have adequate remedies available for any such infringement or other unauthorized use. We cannot assure you that any infringement claims asserted by us will not result in our intellectual property being challenged or invalidated, that our intellectual property will be held to be of adequate scope to protect our business, or that we will be able to deter current and former employees, contractors or other parties from breaching confidentiality obligations and misappropriating trade secrets.

We could become subject to litigation claiming that our intellectual property or proprietary information infringes the rights of a third party. In that event, we could incur substantial defense costs and, if such litigation is successful, we could be required to pay the claimant damages for our past use of such intellectual property or proprietary information, and we could either be required to pay royalties for our use of it in the future or be prohibited from using it in the future. Our inability to use our intellectual property and proprietary information on a cost-effective basis in the future could have a material adverse effect on our revenue, cash flow and profitability. See Part I, Item 1. “Business—Intellectual Property” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Cancellation of orders in our backlog could negatively impact our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

As of March 30, 2024, we had an order backlog of $821.5, including all orders from our Sargent marine and Sargent aerospace businesses. However, orders included in our backlog may be subject to cancellation, delay or other modifications by our customers and we cannot assure you that these orders will ultimately be fulfilled.

Quarterly performance can be affected by the timing of government product inspections and approvals.

A portion of our revenue is associated with contracts with the U.S. government that require onsite inspection and approval of the products by government personnel before we may ship the products, and we have no control over the timing of those inspections and approvals. If products scheduled for delivery in one quarter are not inspected or approved until the following quarter, the delay would adversely affect our sales and profitability for the quarter in which the shipments were scheduled.

We incurred substantial debt in order to complete the Dodge acquisition, which could constrain our business and exposes us to the risk of defaults under our debt instruments.

In fiscal 2022, we incurred $1,800.0 of total debt to finance the Dodge acquisition. As of March 30, 2024, our total debt was $1,191.9. This debt could or will have important consequences, including, but not limited to:

Our ability to make scheduled payments on and to refinance our indebtedness depends on and is subject to our financial and operating performance and no assurance can be given that our business will generate sufficient cash flow to service our debt.

Additionally, our ability to comply with the financial and other covenants contained in our debt instruments could be affected by, among other things, changes in our results of operations, the incurrence of additional indebtedness, the pricing of our products, our success at implementing cost reduction initiatives, our ability to successfully implement our overall business strategy, or changes in industry-specific or general economic conditions which are beyond our control. The breach of any of these covenants could result in a default or event of default under our debt instruments, which, if not cured or waived, could result in our being required to repay these borrowings before their due date. If we are forced to refinance these borrowings on less favorable terms or cannot refinance these borrowings, our prospects, business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected and could cause us to become bankrupt or otherwise insolvent. In addition, these covenants may restrict our ability to engage in transactions that we believe would otherwise be in the best interests of our business and stockholders.

Increases in interest rates would increase the cost of servicing our term loan and could reduce our profitability.

As of March 30, 2024, $400.0 of our term loan was subject to a fixed-rate interest swap but the remaining $275.0 balance of the term loan bears interest at a variable rate. Future increases in interest rates would increase the cost of servicing the portion of the term loan not subject to a swap, which could materially reduce our profitability and cash flows.

Risk Factors Related to our Capital Stock

Provisions in our charter documents may prevent or hinder efforts to acquire a controlling interest in us.

Provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions that might benefit our stockholders or in which our stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. These provisions may also prevent or frustrate attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management.

Pursuant to our charter documents, our Board of Directors (the “Board”) consists of eight members serving staggered three-year terms and divided into three classes. As a result, two annual meetings are required to change a majority of the Board members.

Our certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, with such designations, rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Board, without stockholder approval. We utilized this authorization to issue 4,600,000 shares of 5.00% Series A Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock (“MCPS”) in fiscal 2022. Certain terms of the MCPS could make an attempt to acquire RBC more difficult or expensive. In the future the Board could authorize the issuance of some or all of the 5,400,000 remaining authorized shares of preferred stock with rights, preferences and privileges that rank equally with the MCPS, or that could have the effect of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control of us, or that could impede our stockholders’ ability to approve a transaction they consider in their best interests. Although we have no present intention to issue any additional preferred stock, no assurance can be given that we will not do so in the future. Holders of our common stock do not have preemptive rights to subscribe for a pro rata portion of preferred stock or any other capital stock that we may issue in the future.

We do not expect to pay cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future and our ability to pay dividends on the MCPS is subject to various limitations.

Except for a $2.00 per common share special dividend paid in 2014, we have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock and we do not expect to pay cash dividends on the common stock in the foreseeable future. Instead, we plan to apply earnings and excess cash, if any, to the service of our debt, the payment of quarterly dividends on the MCPS, and the expansion and development of our business. Thus, any return on an investment in our common stock would depend solely on an increase, if any, in the market value of the common stock.

Our ability to pay dividends on the MCPS depends on several factors including:

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None

ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY

Cybersecurity Risk Management and Governance

In response to the increasing threat of continuously evolving cybersecurity risks, we continue to invest in our information technology and operational technology cybersecurity processes. We maintain a data protection and cybersecurity risk management program based upon the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) Cybersecurity framework to assess, identify and manage cybersecurity risks. As part of this program, we maintain defensive network perimeter safeguards, internal mitigation and control features, continuous system and network monitoring, and contingency data protection. The Company ensures regular data and system backups through planned schedules. We utilize local backups for quick recovery and off-site, off-line and physical backups to safeguard against disasters. Our cybersecurity program includes steps for assessing the severity of a cybersecurity threat, identifying the source of a cybersecurity threat including whether the cybersecurity threat is associated with a third-party service provider, implementing cybersecurity testing, detection, response, prevention and mitigation strategies. We also have a notification process for real-time escalation of material cyber incidents by members of our internal cybersecurity team to senior management, including our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Controller, General Counsel and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. The Company’s information security team also engages third-party security consultants for penetration testing, training and system enhancements. Our Director of Information Technology is responsible for leading global cybersecurity risk reduction efforts and compliance.

The Audit Committee is responsible for oversight of our risk management with respect to information technology operations and cybersecurity and oversees risk management in the area of data privacy. As part of this process, the Audit Committee oversees the data protection and cybersecurity risk management program, which includes reviewing management’s risk assessments and the steps management has taken to monitor or mitigate our cybersecurity risk exposure. Management regularly provides data protection and cybersecurity reports to the Audit Committee, which include updates on cybersecurity initiatives, cybersecurity metrics and threat landscape.

Despite our efforts with respect to information technology operations, cybersecurity and data privacy, we have been, and may continue to be, impacted by breaches in data security and lapses in data privacy, which occur from time to time. During fiscal year 2024, the Company did not experience any cybersecurity incidents that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company, including its business strategy, results of operations or financial condition.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

Our principal executive office consists of approximately 70,000 square feet located at One Tribology Center, Oxford, Connecticut, which we own, and our Dodge Industrial subsidiary has approximately 75,000 square feet of office space in Simpsonville, South Carolina, which we lease.

Our Industrial business segment maintains approximately 1,725,000 square feet of manufacturing space across 14 facilities in California, Connecticut, Indiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee, some of which we own and some of which we lease. This manufacturing space includes approximately 460,000 square feet in two owned facilities in North Carolina and South Carolina, and approximately 650,000 square feet in three leased facilities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, all of which are used by Dodge Industrial. The Industrial business segment also maintains approximately 467,000 square feet of manufacturing space across six leased facilities in China, Mexico, and Switzerland and two owned facilities in Poland and Switzerland.

Our Aerospace/Defense business segment maintain approximately 889,000 square feet of manufacturing space across 14 facilities in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina and Nevada, some of which we own and some of which we lease. This manufacturing space includes 163,000 square feet in one owned facility in Arizona. The Aerospace/Defense business segment also maintains approximately 108,000 square feet of manufacturing space across two leased facilities in Mexico.

We own or lease approximately 239,000 square feet in three distribution centers located in California, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and we also lease several sales offices in various locations in the United States, Canada, France, China, Germany India and Australia. We also utilize third party logistics’ firms located strategically around the world to supplement distribution of our products.

We believe that as the term of each of our leased facilities expires we will be able to either secure a renewal or enter into a lease for an alternate location on market terms.

We believe that our existing facilities and equipment are generally in good condition, are well maintained and adequate to carry on our current operations. We also believe that our existing manufacturing facilities have sufficient capacity to meet increased customer demand.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

On March 9, 2022 and March 21, 2023, the Company received civil investigative demands from the United States Department of Justice pursuant to the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3733 (the “FCA”). The investigation concerns allegations that the Company submitted false claims in connection with (i) certifying that the Company’s employees were eligible for unemployment insurance benefits and pandemic relief and worked reduced hours and (ii) received grant proceeds in violation of the FCA. The Company is cooperating with the investigation. As the investigation is in its early stages, it is not possible to determine whether the investigation will have a material adverse effect, if any, on the Company.

Besides the matter described in the previous paragraph, from time to time we are involved in litigation that arises in the ordinary course of business, but we do not believe that any such litigation in which we are currently involved, either individually or in the aggregate, is likely to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, cash flow or prospects.

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

Price Range of Our Common Stock and Preferred Stock

Our common stock is quoted on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “RBC.” As of May 10, 2024, there was one holder of record of our common stock.

The following table shows the high and low sales prices of our common stock during the periods indicated:

The last reported sale price of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on May 10, 2024 was $271.56 per share.

The MCPS (i.e., our outstanding preferred stock) is quoted on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “RBCP.” As of May 10, 2024, there was one holder of record of the MCPS.

The following table shows the high and low sales prices of the MCPS during the periods indicated:

The last reported sale price of the MCPS on the New York Stock Exchange on May 10, 2024 was $122.34 per share.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

In 2019, our Board of Directors authorized us to repurchase up to $100.0 of our common stock from time to time on the open market, in block trade transactions, and through privately negotiated transactions, in compliance with SEC Rule 10b-18 depending on market conditions, alternative uses of capital, and other relevant factors. Purchases may be commenced, suspended, or discontinued at any time without prior notice.

Total share repurchases under the 2019 plan during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 are as follows:

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, we did not issue any common stock that was not registered under the Securities Act of 1933.

Equity Compensation Plans

Information regarding equity compensation plans required to be disclosed pursuant to this Item is included in Part II, Item 8, Note 17 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Performance Graph

The following graph shows the total return to our stockholders compared to the Russell 3000 Index and the S&P 400 Industrials (Sector) (TR) over the period from March 30, 2019 to March 30, 2024. Because of the diversity of our markets and products, we do not believe that a combination of peer issuers can be selected on an industry or line-of-business basis to provide a meaningful basis for comparing shareholder return. Accordingly, the Russell 3000 Index, which is comprised of issuers with generally similar market capitalizations to that of the Company, is included in the graph as permitted by applicable regulations. Each line on the graph assumes that $100 was invested in our common stock or in the respective indices on March 30, 2019 based on the closing price on that date. The graph then presents the value of these investments, assuming reinvestment of dividends, through the close of trading on March 30, 2024.

The cumulative total return shown on the stock performance graph indicates historical results only and may not be indicative of future results.

ITEM 6. [RESERVED]

Not applicable.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The financial and business analysis below provides information that we believe is relevant to an assessment and understanding of our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows. This financial and business analysis should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes. All references to “Notes” in this Item 7 refer to the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The following discussion contains statements reflecting our views about our future performance that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. See the information provided in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading “Cautionary Statement as to Forward-Looking Information.”

General

We are a well-known international manufacturer of highly engineered precision bearings, components and essential systems for the industrial, defense and aerospace industries. Our precision solutions are integral to the manufacture and operation of most machines and mechanical systems, reduce wear to moving parts, facilitate proper power transmission, and reduce damage and energy loss caused by friction. While we manufacture products in all major bearing categories, we focus primarily on the higher end of the bearing market where we believe our value-added manufacturing and engineering capabilities enable us to differentiate ourselves from our competitors and enhance profitability. We believe our unique expertise has enabled us to garner leading positions in many of the product markets in which we primarily compete. With 54 facilities in 11 countries, of which 38 are manufacturing facilities, we have been able to significantly broaden our end markets, products, customer base and geographic reach. We have a fiscal year consisting of 52 or 53 weeks, ending on the Saturday closest to March 31. Based on this policy, fiscal 2024 had 52 weeks and fiscal 2023 had 52 weeks. We currently operate under two reportable business segments – Aerospace/Defense and Industrial:

The markets for our products are cyclical, and we have endeavored to mitigate this cyclicality by entering into single and sole-source relationships and long-term purchase agreements, through diversification across multiple market segments within the Aerospace/Defense and Industrial segments, by increasing sales to the aftermarket, and by focusing on developing highly customized solutions.

Currently, our strategy is built around maintaining our role as a leading manufacturer of highly engineered bearings and precision components through the following efforts:

We have demonstrated expertise in acquiring and integrating bearing and precision engineered component manufacturers that have complementary products or distribution channels and have provided significant margin enhancement. We have consistently increased the profitability of acquired businesses through a process of methods and systems improvement coupled with the introduction of complementary and proprietary new products. Since 1992 we have completed 29 acquisitions, which have broadened our end markets, products, customer base and geographic reach.

Outlook

Our net sales increased 6.2% year over year due to an increase of 20.7% in Aerospace and Defense segment sales and a 0.2% increase in Industrial segment sales.

Aerospace and Defense segment sales increased 20.7% year over year. Commercial aerospace increased 20.3%, demonstrating the continued recovery and early stages of a growth cycle. Defense sales, which represent approximately 31.9% of segment sales during the year, were up more than 21.6% for the year. Our backlog in this end market is significant and deliveries are expected to continue to accelerate in the coming years.

For the fiscal year ended March 30, 2024, approximately 66.7% of our net sales were attributable to the Industrial segment while the Aerospace/Defense segment contributed approximately 33.3% of our net sales. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, approximately 65.6% of our net sales were attributable to the Industrial segment compared to approximately 34.4% for the Aerospace/Defense segment. Approximately $186.8 of Industrial segment sales in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 were to distribution and aftermarket compared to $185.7 in the prior year while approximately $84.5 were made directly to OEMs in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 compared to $86.9 in the prior year. Net sales in the Aerospace/Defense segment increased $20.6, or 16.8%, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 compared to the same period last fiscal year. Commercial aerospace, which consisted of $78.2 of OEM and $19.7 of distribution and aftermarket, increased by 12.0% compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 when OEM net sales were $68.8 and distribution and aftermarket net sales were $18.5. This was driven by a continuing recovery as build rates and orders escalate in the OEM markets and the aftermarket begins to pick up. Our defense markets, which consisted of $34.2 of OEM and $10.3 of distribution and aftermarket, increased by 29.0% compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 when OEM net sales were $28.2 and distribution and aftermarket net sales were $6.3.

The Company forecasts net sales to be approximately $415.0 to $420.0 in the first quarter of fiscal 2025, compared to $387.1 in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, which represents a growth rate of 7.2% to 8.5%. 

Our order backlog, as of March 30, 2024, was $726.1 compared to $663.8 as of April 1, 2023. These figures exclude orders from our Sargent marine and Sargent aerospace businesses that are expected to be fulfilled more than 12 months after the balance sheet dates. Including all orders from our Sargent marine and Sargent aerospace businesses, our backlog as of March 30, 2024 was $821.5 compared to $759.4 as of April 1, 2023. This increase reflects continued growth, most notably in our commercial aerospace and marine defense end markets. Beginning in fiscal year 2025, we will disclose our full backlog for periods presented.

We experienced solid operating cash flow generation during fiscal 2024 (as discussed in the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section below). We believe that operating cash flows and available credit under our revolving bank credit facilities will provide adequate resources to fund internal growth initiatives for the foreseeable future, including at least the next 12 months. As of March 30, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents of $63.5, of which, $25.9 was cash held by our foreign operations.

Sources of Revenue

A contract with a customer exists when there is commitment and approval from both parties involved, the rights of the parties are identified, payment terms are defined, the contract has commercial substance and collectability of consideration is probable. The Company has determined that the contract with the customer is established when the customer purchase order is accepted or acknowledged. Long-term agreements (“LTAs”) are used by the Company and certain of its customers to reduce their supply uncertainty for a period of time, typically multiple years. While these LTAs define commercial terms including pricing, termination rights and other contractual requirements, they do not represent the contract with the customer for revenue recognition purposes.

Approximately 98% of the Company’s revenue was generated from the sale of products to customers in the Industrial and Aerospace/Defense markets for each of the years ended March 30, 2024 and April 1, 2023. The remaining 2% of the Company’s revenue for each of the last two fiscal years was derived from services performed for customers, which included repair and refurbishment work performed on customer-controlled assets as well as design and test work.

Refer to Note 2 for further discussion regarding the Company’s revenue policy.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales includes employee compensation and benefits, raw materials, outside processing, depreciation of manufacturing machinery and equipment, supplies and manufacturing overhead.

Less than half of our factory costs, depending on product mix, are attributable to raw materials, purchased components and outside processing. When we experience raw material inflation, we attempt to offset these cost increases by changing our buying patterns, expanding our vendor network and passing through price increases when possible. Although we experienced cost inflation on raw material, labor and overhead for this fiscal year, we were able to mitigate it through pricing and strategic sourcing efforts.

We monitor gross margin performance through a process of monthly operation reviews with all our divisions. We develop new products to target certain markets allied to our strategies by first understanding volume levels and product pricing and then constructing manufacturing strategies to achieve defined margin objectives. We only pursue product lines where we believe that the developed manufacturing process will yield the targeted margins. Management monitors gross margins of all product lines on a monthly basis to determine which manufacturing processes or prices should be adjusted.

Fiscal 2024 Compared to Fiscal 2023

Results of Operations

(amounts in millions, except share and per share data)

Net sales for the fiscal year ended March 30, 2024 increased $91.0, or 6.2%, for fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023. This increase in net sales was the result of an 0.2% increase in our Industrial segment, while sales in our Aerospace/Defense segment increased 20.7% year over year. Industrial segment sales remain very strong, most notably, in the mining, energy, and general industrial markets. Within Aerospace/Defense, total commercial aerospace increased 20.3% and defense increased 21.6% year over year. The commercial aerospace increase reflects the continued recovery in the market over the last year, and what we believe is the start of a growth cycle as aircraft build rates at large OEMs are expected to escalate in coming years.

Net income attributable to common stockholders increased by $43.1 to $186.9 for fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023. The net income attributable to common stockholders of $186.9 in fiscal 2024 was impacted by $3.0 of restructuring and consolidation charges incurred, $78.7 of interest expense, $23.0 of preferred stock dividends and $51.9 of income tax expense. The net income attributable to common stockholders of $143.8 in fiscal 2023 was impacted by $8.8 of transition service agreement (TSA) costs associated with the Dodge acquisition, $2.7 of restructuring and consolidation charges incurred at some of our plants located in South Carolina, $76.7 of interest expense, $22.9 of preferred stock dividends and $43.0 of income tax expense.

Gross Margin

Gross margin was 43.0% of sales for fiscal 2024 compared to 41.2% for the same period last year. Gross margin during fiscal 2024 included $0.3 of inventory rationalization costs associated with consolidation efforts at one of our facilities located in California. Gross margin in fiscal 2023 included $0.2 of inventory rationalization costs associated with consolidation efforts at one of our facilities located in South Carolina. The expansion in margin during fiscal 2024 reflects the combination of continued cost efficiencies achieved through integration, product mix, pricing and the ability to maintain appropriate pricing levels while facing an inflationary environment both as it relates to manufacturing costs and human capital.

Selling, General and Administrative

SG&A expenses increased by $23.8 to $253.5 for fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023. The increase in SG&A was primarily driven by personnel costs, IT costs and other professional fees.

Other, Net

Other operating expenses for fiscal 2024 totaled $74.8 compared to $82.1 for fiscal 2023. For fiscal 2024, other operating costs consisted primarily of $70.4 of amortization expense, $2.7 of plant consolidation and restructuring costs, $0.2 of bad debt expense, $0.3 of acquisition costs, $0.6 of losses on disposal of assets, and $0.6 of other items. For fiscal 2023, other operating expenses were comprised of $8.9 of TSA costs and other costs associated with the Dodge acquisition, $69.1 of amortization expense, $2.5 of plant consolidation and restructuring costs, $0.8 of bad debt expense, $0.3 of asset impairments, $0.3 of losses on disposal of assets, and $0.2 of other items.

Interest Expense, Net

Interest expense, net, consists of interest charged on the Company’s debt agreements and amortization of deferred financing fees, offset by interest income. Interest expense, net was $78.7 for fiscal 2024 compared to $76.7 for fiscal 2023 as a result of additional interest on our variable rate debt. Though interest rates have steadily increased since the beginning of fiscal 2023, the interest rate swap that we entered into that year (see “Liquidity and Capital Resources” below) has enabled us to manage interest costs as approximately 75% of our debt bears interest at a fixed rate, after giving effect to the interest rate swap agreement in place.

Other Non-Operating Expense

Other non-operating expense for fiscal 2024 totaled $1.7, consisting primarily of post-retirement benefit costs. Non-operating costs incurred during fiscal 2023 were $6.6, consisting primarily of costs associated with post-retirement benefit plans led by a $4.3 settlement loss related to the derecognition of $15.6 of pension liabilities and $15.6 of pension assets resulting from an annuity contract executed in March 2023.

Income Taxes

Income tax expense for fiscal 2024 was $51.9 compared to $43.0 for fiscal 2023. Our effective income tax rate for fiscal 2024 was 19.8% compared to 20.5% for fiscal 2023. The effective income tax rates are different from the U.S. statutory rate due to the U.S. credits for increasing research activities and foreign-derived intangible income provision which decrease the rate and differences in foreign and state income taxes which increase the rate. The effective income tax rate for fiscal 2024 of 19.8% included discrete items totaling a benefit of $8.2 which is substantially related to a benefit associated with stock-based compensation, a reduction in unrecognized tax benefits due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, and the accrual of deferred tax assets related to state tax modifications. The effective income tax rate for fiscal 2024 without these discrete items would have been 22.9%. The effective income tax rate for fiscal 2023 of 20.5% included discrete items of $5.1 of benefit comprised substantially of a benefit associated with stock-based compensation and a reduction in unrecognized tax benefits partially due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. The effective income tax rate for fiscal 2023 without these discrete items would have been 22.9%.

Global Minimum Tax

In October 2021, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) announced an Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting including Pillar Two Model Rules defining the global minimum tax, which calls for the taxation of large multinational corporations at a minimum rate of 15%. Subsequently multiple sets of administrative guidance have been issued. Many non-US tax jurisdictions have either recently enacted legislation to adopt certain components of the Pillar Two Model Rules beginning in 2024 with the adoption of additional components in later years or announced their plans to enact legislation in future years. We are continuing to evaluate the impacts of enacted legislation and pending legislation to enact Pillar Two Model Rules in the non-US tax jurisdictions in which we operate.

Segment Information

We report our financial results under two operating segments: Aerospace/Defense and Industrial. We use gross margin as the primary measurement to assess the financial performance of each reportable segment.

Aerospace/Defense Segment:

Net sales increased $89.1, or 20.7%, for fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023. Commercial aerospace, which consisted of $278.5 of OEM and $75.3 of distribution and aftermarket, increased by 20.3% compared to fiscal 2023 when OEM net sales were $234.4 and distribution and aftermarket net sales were $59.7. This was driven by a continuing recovery as build rates and orders escalated in the OEM markets and the aftermarket began to pick up. Our defense markets, which consisted of $135.3 of OEM and $30.3 of distribution and aftermarket, increased by 21.6% compared to fiscal 2023 when OEM net sales were $110.3 and distribution and aftermarket net sales were $25.9.

During the year, we saw improvement in the sales and order volume to our commercial aerospace customers as aircraft build rates continued to grow. Our backlog and recent results reflect the early stages of this process which we expect to continue to see in upcoming quarters. Our defense markets, which represented about 31.9% of sales, increased by approximately 21.6% during the period, driven by increased sales and order volume in the marine and helicopter end markets. Overall distribution and aftermarket sales, which represent 20.3% of segment sales, were up 23.4% year over year.

Gross margin was $208.8, or 40.2% of net sales, in fiscal 2024 compared to $171.0, or 39.7% of sales, for the same period in fiscal 2023. We anticipate margin expansion in the next year as the increasing orders on commercial products add volume through our plants driving cost efficiencies.

Industrial Segment:

Net sales increased $1.9, or 0.2%, during fiscal 2024 compared to the same period last year. The continued strong performance was driven by the energy, mining, and general industrial markets. Sales to distribution and the aftermarket were $707.6 in fiscal 2024 compared to $691.7 in the prior year, a 2.3% year over year increase. OEM sales were $333.3 for fiscal 2024 compared to $347.3 in the prior year. The 4.0% decrease in OEM sales compared to the prior year was primarily due to some softness in the semicon end market.

Gross margin was $461.7, or 44.4% of net sales, in fiscal 2024 compared to $433.8, or 41.8% of sales, for the same period in fiscal 2023. The gross margin for the fiscal 2023 included the unfavorable impact of $0.2 associated with inventory rationalization costs at one of our plants in South Carolina. The expansion in margin year over year was led by cost efficiencies achieved through synergy, product mix, and maintenance of appropriate pricing levels to offset the inflationary environment primarily driven by the cost of materials, energy and human capital.

Corporate:

Corporate SG&A increased $6.8 or 9.0% for fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023 due to increased spend in IT and personnel-related costs. As a percentage of net sales, Corporate SG&A was relatively flat year over year.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our business is capital-intensive. Our capital requirements include manufacturing equipment and materials. In addition, we have historically fueled our growth, in part, through acquisitions. We have historically met our working capital, capital expenditure requirements and acquisition funding needs through our net cash flows provided by operations, various debt arrangements and sale of equity to investors. We believe that operating cash flows and available credit under our revolving bank credit facilities will provide adequate resources to fund internal growth initiatives for the foreseeable future.

Our ability to meet future working capital, capital expenditures and debt service requirements will depend on our future financial performance, which will be affected by a range of economic, competitive and business factors, particularly interest rates, cyclical changes in our end markets and prices for steel and our ability to pass through price increases on a timely basis, many of which are outside of our control. In addition, future acquisitions could have a significant impact on our liquidity position and our need for additional funds.

From time to time, we evaluate our existing facilities and operations and their strategic importance to us. If we determine that a given facility or operation does not have future strategic importance, we may sell, relocate, consolidate or otherwise dispose of those operations. Although we believe our operations would not be materially impaired by such dispositions, relocations or consolidations, we could incur significant cash or non-cash charges in connection with them.

Liquidity

As of March 30, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents of $63.5, of which, approximately $25.9 was cash held by our foreign operations. We expect that our undistributed foreign earnings will be re-invested indefinitely for working capital, internal growth and acquisitions for and by our foreign subsidiaries. As discussed in further detail below, we also have the ability to borrow money from our existing credit facilities.

Domestic Credit Facility

In fiscal 2022, RBC Bearings Incorporated, our top holding company, and our Roller Bearing Company of America, Inc. subsidiary (“RBCA”) entered into a Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (“Wells Fargo”), as Administrative Agent, Collateral Agent, Swingline Lender and Letter of Credit Issuer and the other lenders party thereto. The Credit Agreement provides the Company with (a) a $1,300.0 term loan (the “Term Loan”), which was used to fund a portion of the cash purchase price for the acquisition of Dodge Industrial, Inc. (“Dodge”) and to pay related fees and expenses, and (b) a $500.0 revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility” and together with the Term Loan, the “Facilities”). Debt issuance costs associated with the Credit Agreement totaled $14.9 and are being amortized over the life of the Credit Agreement.

Initially, amounts outstanding under the Facilities generally bore interest at either, at the Company’s option, (a) a base rate determined by reference to the higher of (i) Wells Fargo’s prime lending rate, (ii) the federal funds effective rate plus 1/2 of 1.00% and (iii) the one-month LIBOR rate plus 1.00% or (b) the LIBOR rate plus a specified margin, depending on the type of borrowing being made. The applicable margin was based on the Company’s consolidated ratio of total net debt to consolidated EBITDA (as defined within the Credit Agreement) from time to time. In December 2022, the Credit Agreement was amended to replace LIBOR with the secured overnight financing rate administered by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (“SOFR”) so that borrowings under the Facilities denominated in U.S. dollars bear interest at a rate per annum equal to Term SOFR (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus a credit spread adjustment of 0.10% plus a margin ranging from 0.75% to 2.00% depending on the Company’s consolidated ratio of total net debt to consolidated EBITDA. The Facilities are subject to a SOFR floor of 0.00%. As of March 30, 2024, the Company’s margin was 1.25% for SOFR loans, the commitment fee rate was 0.20%, and the letter of credit fee rate was 1.25%. A portion of the Term Loan is subject to a fixed-rate interest swap as discussed in Note 13.

The Term Loan matures in November 2026 and amortizes in quarterly installments with the balance payable on the maturity date. The Company can elect to prepay some or all of the outstanding balance from time to time without penalty, which will offset future quarterly amortization installments. Due to prepayments previously made, the required future principal payments on the Term Loan are $0 for fiscal 2025, $0 for fiscal 2026, and $675.0 for fiscal 2027. The Revolving Credit Facility expires in November 2026, at which time all amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility will be payable.

The Credit Agreement requires the Company to comply with various covenants, including the following financial covenants: (a) a maximum Total Net Leverage Ratio (as defined within the Credit Agreement) of 5.00:1.00, which maximum Total Net Leverage Ratio shall decrease during certain subsequent test periods as set forth in the Credit Agreement (provided that, no more than once during the term of the Facilities, such maximum ratio applicable at such time may be increased by the Company by 0.50:1.00 for a period of twelve (12) months after the consummation of a material acquisition); and (b) a minimum Interest Coverage Ratio of 2.00:1.00. As of March 30, 2024 the Company was in compliance with all debt covenants.

The Credit Agreement allows the Company to, among other things, make distributions to stockholders, repurchase its stock, incur other debt or liens, or acquire or dispose of assets provided that the Company complies with certain requirements and limitations of the Credit Agreement.

The Company’s domestic subsidiaries have guaranteed the Company’s obligations under the Credit Agreement, and the Company’s obligations and the domestic subsidiaries’ guaranty are secured by a pledge of substantially all of the assets of the Company and its domestic subsidiaries.

As of March 30, 2024, $675.0 was outstanding under the Term Loan, $3.7 of the Revolving Credit Facility was being utilized to provide letters of credit to secure the Company’s obligations relating to certain insurance programs, and $18.0 of the Revolving Credit Facility had been used to fund the purchase of the business assets of Specline, Inc. which is discussed in Note 9. The Company had the ability to borrow up to an additional $478.3 under the Revolving Credit Facility as of March 30, 2024.

Senior Notes

In fiscal 2022, RBCA issued $500.0 aggregate principal amount of 4.375% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “Senior Notes”). The net proceeds from the issuance of the Senior Notes were approximately $492.0, after deducting initial purchasers’ discounts and commissions and offering expenses, and were used to fund a portion of the purchase price for the acquisition of Dodge.

The Senior Notes were issued pursuant to an indenture with Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (the “Indenture”). The Indenture contains covenants limiting the ability of the Company to (i) incur additional indebtedness or guarantee indebtedness, (ii) declare or pay dividends, redeem stock or make other distributions to stockholders, (iii) make investments, (iv) create liens or use assets as security in other transactions, (v) merge or consolidate, or sell, transfer, lease or dispose of substantially all of its assets, (vi) enter into transactions with affiliates, and (vii) sell or transfer certain assets. These covenants contain various exceptions, limitations and qualifications. At any time that the Senior Notes are rated investment grade, certain of these covenants will be suspended.

The Senior Notes are guaranteed jointly and severally on a senior unsecured basis by RBC Bearings and certain of RBCA’s existing and future wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries that also guarantee the Credit Agreement.

Interest on the Senior Notes accrues at a rate of 4.375% and is payable semi–annually in cash in arrears on April 15 and October 15 of each year.

The Senior Notes will mature on October 15, 2029. The Company may redeem some or all of the Senior Notes at any time on or after October 15, 2024 at the redemption prices set forth in the Indenture, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date. The Company may also redeem up to 40% of the Senior Notes using the proceeds of certain equity offerings completed before October 15, 2024, at a redemption price equal to 104.375% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date. In addition, at any time prior to October 15, 2024, the Company may redeem some or all of the Senior Notes at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount, plus a “make–whole” premium, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date. If the Company sells certain of its assets or experiences specific kinds of changes in control, the Company must offer to purchase the Senior Notes.

Foreign Borrowing Arrangements

One of our foreign subsidiaries, Schaublin SA, has a CHF 5.0 (approximately $5.8 USD) credit line (the “Foreign Credit Line”) with Credit Suisse (Switzerland) Ltd. to provide future working capital, if necessary. As of March 30, 2024, $2.2 had been borrowed from the Foreign Credit Line and $0.1 was being utilized to provide a bank guarantee. Fees associated with the Foreign Credit Line are nominal.

Interest Rate Swap

In fiscal 2023, the Company entered into a three-year USD-denominated interest rate swap (“the Swap”) from a third-party financial counterparty under the Credit Agreement. The Swap was executed to protect the Company from interest rate volatility on our variable-rate Term Loan Facility. The Swap became effective December 30, 2022 and is comprised of a $600.0 notional with a maturity of three years. We receive a variable rate based on one-month Term SOFR and pay a fixed rate of 4.455%. As of March 30, 2024, approximately 75% of our debt bore interest at a fixed rate after giving effect to the Swap in place. The notional on the Swap will amortize as follows:

Year 1: $600.0

Year 2: $400.0

Year 3: $100.0

The Swap has been designated as a cash flow hedge of the variability of the first unhedged interest payments (the hedged transactions) paid over the hedging relationship’s specified time period of three years attributable to the borrowing’s contractually specified interest index on the hedged principal of its general borrowing program or replacement or refinancing thereof.

Cash Flows

Fiscal 2024 Compared to Fiscal 2023

The following table summarizes our cash flow activities:

During fiscal 2024, we generated cash of $274.7 from operating activities compared to $220.6 for fiscal 2023. The increase of $54.1 was mainly the result of a $43.2 increase in net income and a $12.4 favorable change in non-cash activity partially offset by a net unfavorable change in operating assets and liabilities of $1.5. The unfavorable change in operating assets and liabilities is detailed in the table below. The change in non-cash activity was primarily driven by $3.9 more depreciation and amortization, $3.4 more stock-based compensation and a favorable change in deferred taxes of $9.1, partially offset by $4.2 less amortization of deferred financing costs.

The following chart summarizes the impact on cash flow from operating assets and liabilities for fiscal 2024 versus fiscal 2023.

During fiscal 2024, we used $52.2 for investing activities as compared to $14.0 for fiscal 2023. This increase in cash used was primarily attributable to $19.3 of cash used for acquisitions in fiscal 2024 compared to a favorable purchase price adjustment of $27.5 in fiscal 2023. This was partially offset by $8.8 fewer capital expenditures in fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023.

During fiscal 2024, we used cash of $223.5 for financing activities compared to $322.8 in fiscal 2023. This favorable change was primarily due to $8.8 more proceeds from exercises of employee stock options, $20.3 of proceeds received from our revolving credit facilities and $75.0 less repayment of debt compared to the prior year.

Capital Expenditures

Our capital expenditures in fiscal 2024 were $33.2 compared to $42.0 in fiscal 2023. We expect to make capital expenditures of approximately 3.0% to 3.5% of net sales during fiscal 2025 in connection with our existing business. We funded our fiscal 2024 capital expenditures, and expect to fund fiscal 2025 capital expenditures, principally through existing cash and internally generated funds. We may also make substantial additional capital expenditures in connection with acquisitions.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We evaluate our estimates on an on-going basis. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, the accounting for the allowance for doubtful accounts, valuation of inventories, goodwill and intangible assets, depreciation and amortization, income taxes and tax reserves, the valuation of options and the valuation of business combinations. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. We believe our judgments related to these accounting estimates are appropriate. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Revenue Recognition. The performance obligations for the majority of RBC’s product sales are satisfied at the point in time in which the products are shipped. The Company has determined that the customer obtains control upon shipment of the product based on the shipping terms (i.e. when it ships from RBC’s dock or when the product arrives at the customer’s dock) and recognizes revenue when control has transferred to the customer. Once a customer has obtained control, the customer is able to direct the use of, and obtain substantially all of the remaining benefits from, the asset. Approximately 98% of the Company’s revenue was recognized in this manner based on sales for the fiscal years ended March 30, 2024 and April 1, 2023.

The Company has determined performance obligations are satisfied over time for customer contracts where RBC provides services to customers and also for a limited number of product sales. RBC has determined revenue recognition over time is appropriate for our service revenue contracts as they create or enhance an asset that the customer controls throughout the duration of the contract. Approximately 2% of the Company’s revenue was recognized in this manner based on sales for the fiscal years ended March 30, 2024 and April 1, 2023. Revenue recognition over time is appropriate for customer contracts with product sales in which the product sold has no alternative use to RBC without significant economic loss and an enforceable right to payment exists, including a normal profit margin from the customer, in the event of contract termination. These types of contracts comprised less than 1% of total sales for the fiscal years ended March 30, 2024 and April 1, 2023. For both of these types of contracts, revenue is recognized over time based on the extent of progress towards completion of the performance obligation. The Company utilizes the cost-to-cost measure of progress for over-time revenue recognition contracts as we believe this measure best depicts the transfer of control to the customer, which occurs as we incur costs on contracts. Revenues, including profits, are recorded proportionally as costs are incurred. Costs to fulfill include labor, materials, subcontractors’ costs, and other direct and indirect costs.

Pursuant to the over-time revenue recognition model, revenue may be recognized prior to the customer being invoiced. An unbilled receivable is recorded to reflect revenue that is recognized when (1) the cost-to-cost method is applied and (2) such revenue exceeds the amount invoiced to the customer. Contract assets are included within prepaid expenses and other current assets or other noncurrent assets on the consolidated balance sheets.

Inventory. Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined by the first-in, first-out method. We account for inventory under a full absorption method. We record adjustments to the value of inventory based upon past sales history and forecasted plans to sell our inventories. The physical condition, including age and quality, of the inventories is also considered in establishing its valuation. These adjustments are estimates, which could vary significantly, either favorably or unfavorably, from actual requirements if future economic conditions, customer inventory levels or competitive conditions differ from our expectations.

Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets. Goodwill (representing the excess of the amount paid to acquire a company over the estimated fair value of the net assets acquired) and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but instead are tested for impairment annually, or when events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of such asset may not be recoverable. Separate tests are performed for goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets. We completed a quantitative test of impairment on the indefinite lived intangible assets with no impairment noted in fiscal year 2024. The determination of any goodwill impairment is made at the reporting unit level. The Company determines the fair value of a reporting unit and compares it to its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized for any amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. The Company applies the income approach (discounted cash flow method) in testing goodwill for impairment. The key assumptions used in the discounted cash flow method used to estimate fair value include the discount rates, revenue growth rates and EBITDA margin which are affected by expectations about future market or economic conditions. Discount rates, revenue growth rates and EBITDA margin are the most sensitive and susceptible to change as they require significant management judgment. Discount rates are determined by using a weighted average cost of capital (“WACC”). The WACC considers market and industry data as well as Company-specific risk factors for each reporting unit in determining the appropriate discount rate to be used. The discount rate utilized for each reporting unit for our fiscal 2024 test was 10.0% and is indicative of the return an investor would expect to receive for investing in such a business. Terminal growth rate determination follows common methodology of capturing the present value of perpetual cash flow estimates beyond the last projected period assuming a constant WACC and long-term growth rates. The terminal growth rate used for our fiscal 2024 test was 2.5%. The Company has determined that, to date, no impairment of goodwill exists and fair value of the reporting units exceeded the carrying value in total by approximately 53.5%. The fair value of the reporting units exceeds the carrying value by a minimum of 18.8% at each of the two reporting units. A decrease of 1.0% in our terminal growth rate would not result in impairment of goodwill for any of our reporting units. An increase of 1.0% in our discount rate would not result in impairment of goodwill for any of our reporting units. Assuming no growth in EBITDA margin within the model would not result in impairment of goodwill for any of our reporting units. The Company performs the annual impairment testing during the fourth quarter of each fiscal year. Although no changes are expected, if the actual results of the Company are less favorable than the assumptions the Company makes regarding estimated cash flows, the Company may be required to record an impairment charge in the future.

Valuation of Business Combinations. We allocate the amounts we pay for each acquisition to the assets we acquire and liabilities we assume based on their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition, including identifiable intangible assets, which either arise from a contractual or legal right or are separable from goodwill. We base the fair value of identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination on detailed valuations which are prepared with the assistance of a specialist and consider our best estimates of inputs and assumptions that a market participant would use. We utilize a specialist for these valuations due to the complexity and estimation uncertainty involved in determining the fair value given the significant assumptions involved. Significant assumptions utilized in the valuation models include discount rates, revenue growth rates and EBITDA margins. We allocate to goodwill any excess purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired. Transaction costs associated with these acquisitions are expensed as incurred through other, net on the consolidated statements of operations.

Income Taxes. As part of the process of preparing the consolidated financial statements, we are required to estimate the income taxes in each jurisdiction in which we operate. This process involves estimating the actual current tax liabilities together with assessing temporary differences resulting from the differing treatment of items for tax and financial reporting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included in the consolidated balance sheets. We must then assess the likelihood that the deferred tax assets will be recovered, and to the extent that we believe that recovery is not more than likely, we are required to establish a valuation allowance. If a valuation allowance is established or increased during any period, we are required to include this amount as an expense within the tax provision in the consolidated statements of operations. Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities, accrual for uncertain tax positions and any valuation allowance recognized against net deferred tax assets.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

For a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements, refer to Note 2.

Impact of Inflation and Changes in Prices of Raw Materials

In fiscal 2024, the economy experienced inflation. We purchase steel at market prices, which fluctuate as a result of supply and demand in the marketplace. To date, we have managed price increases by changing our buying patterns, expanding our vendor network, and passing increases on to our customers through price increases on our products, the assessment of steel surcharges on our customers, or entry into LTAs with our customers containing escalator provisions tied to our invoiced price of steel. However, even if we are able to pass these cost increases to our customers, there may be a time lag of several months between the time we experience a cost increase and when we implement surcharges or price increases, particularly for orders already in our backlog. As a result, our gross margin percentage may decline.

Competitive pressures and the terms of certain of our long-term contracts may require us to absorb at least part of these cost increases, particularly during periods of high inflation. Our principal raw materials are stainless and 52100 wire and rod steel (types of high alloy steel), which have historically been readily available. We have never experienced a work stoppage due to a supply shortage. We maintain multiple sources for raw materials including steel and have various supplier agreements. Through sole-source arrangements, supplier agreements and pricing, we have been able to minimize our exposure to fluctuations in raw material prices.

Our suppliers and sources of raw materials are based in the U.S., Europe and Asia. We believe that our sources are adequate for our needs in the foreseeable future, that there exist alternative suppliers for our raw materials, and that in most cases readily available alternative materials can be used for most of our raw materials.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Company has $3.7 of outstanding standby letters of credit, all of which are under the Revolving Credit Facility. We also have a contractual obligation for licenses related to the implementation and upgrade of an enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) system. The remaining contractual obligation related to these ERP license costs of $7.6 will end in June of 2026.

Other than the items noted above, we had no significant off-balance sheet arrangements as of March 30, 2024.

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

We are exposed to market risks, which arise during the normal course of business from changes in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates.

Interest Rates. We currently have variable rate debt outstanding under the Term Loan Facility. We regularly evaluate the impact of interest rate changes on our net income and cash flow and take action to limit our exposure when appropriate. As discussed in “Liquidity and Capital Resources” in Item 7 of this Annual Report, we have utilized an interest rate swap to fix a portion of the variable rate interest expense associated with the Term Loan. As of March 30, 2024, approximately 75% of our debt bears interest at a fixed rate after giving effect to the interest rate swap agreement in place.

Foreign Currency Exchange Rates. As an international company, our operations transact in the following foreign currencies:

As a result, we are exposed to risk associated with fluctuating currency exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and these currencies. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in earnings. Approximately 12% of our net sales were impacted by foreign currency fluctuations in fiscal 2024 compared to approximately 12% of net sales in fiscal 2023. For those countries outside the U.S. where we have sales, a strengthening in the U.S. dollar or devaluation in the local currency would reduce the value of our local inventory as presented in our consolidated financial statements. In addition, a stronger U.S. dollar or a weaker local currency would result in reduced net sales, operating profit and shareholders’ equity due to the impact of foreign exchange translation on our consolidated financial statements. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may make our products more expensive or increase our operating costs, affecting our competitiveness and our profitability.

Changes in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and other currencies and volatile economic, political and market conditions in emerging market countries have in the past adversely affected our financial performance and may in the future adversely affect the value of our assets located outside the United States and our results of operations.

We periodically enter into derivative financial instruments in the form of forward exchange contracts to reduce the effect of fluctuations in exchange rates on certain third-party sales and purchase transactions denominated in non-functional currencies. As of March 30, 2024, the Company had no forward exchange contracts.

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of RBC Bearings Incorporated

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of RBC Bearings Incorporated (the Company) as of March 30, 2024 and April 1, 2023, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended March 30, 2024, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at March 30, 2024 and April 1, 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended March 30, 2024, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of March 30, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework), and our report dated May 17, 2024 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the account or disclosures to which it relates.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2002.

Stamford, Connecticut

May 17, 2024

RBC Bearings Incorporated

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(amounts in millions, except share and per share data)

See accompanying notes.

RBC Bearings Incorporated

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(amounts in millions, except share and per share data)