Textron (TXT) 10-K2020 FY Annual report

Textron Aviation is developing the Cessna Skycourier, a twin-engine, high-wing, large-utility turboprop aircraft, which achieved its first flight in May 2020. The Denali, a high-performance single engine turboprop aircraft under development, is expected to achieve its first flight in 2021.

Bell is one of the leading suppliers of military and commercial helicopters, tiltrotor aircraft, and related spare parts and services in the world.

Textron Systems is a supplier to the defense, aerospace and general aviation markets. This segment sells products to U.S. Government customers and to customers outside the U.S. through foreign military sales sponsored by the U.S. Government and directly through commercial sales channels. Textron Systems’ operating units are reported under the following product lines: Unmanned Systems, Marine and Land Systems and Simulation, Training and Other.

Our Industrial segment designs and manufactures a variety of products within the Fuel Systems and Functional Components and Specialized Vehicles product lines.

At January 2, 2021, we employed approximately 33,000 employees worldwide, with approximately 75% located in the U.S. and the remainder located outside of the U.S. Approximately 6,800, or 28%, of our U.S. employees, most of whom work for our Bell and Textron Aviation segments, are represented by unions under collective bargaining agreements, and certain of our non-U.S. employees are represented by organized works councils. From time to time our collective bargaining agreements expire and come up for renegotiation.

To maintain and enhance the safety of our employees, we promote a culture of continuous improvement and individual accountability to provide safe workplaces. We use an annual goal setting process to drive injury rate improvements, and the injury rate reduction goal is a performance metric that is reported to Textron’s Audit Committee and is tracked and reported to senior leadership.

Our talent development programs are designed to prepare our employees at all levels to take on new career and growth opportunities at Textron. Leadership, professional and functional training courses are tailored for employees at each stage of their careers and include a mix of enterprise-wide and business unit-specific programs. Textron University, an internal corporate function, provides (i) facilitated face-to-face professional and leadership development, (ii) web-based general and specialized functional and technical courses and (iii) an online portal to access advanced skills technical training, manage recertification of existing qualifications and other career planning tools and resources.

Textron is committed to having a diverse workforce and inclusive workplaces throughout our global operations. We believe by employing highly talented, diverse employees, who feel valued, respected and are able to contribute fully, we will improve performance, innovation and collaboration and drive talent retention, all of which contribute to stronger business results and reinforce our reputation as leaders in our industries and communities.

We own, or are licensed under, numerous patents throughout the world relating to products, services and methods of manufacturing. Patents developed while under contract with the U.S. Government may be subject to use by the U.S. Government. We also own or license active trademark registrations and pending trademark applications in the U.S. and in various foreign countries or regions, as well as trade names and service marks. While our intellectual property rights in the aggregate are important to the operation of our business, we do not believe that any existing patent, license, trademark or other intellectual property right is of such importance that its loss or termination would have a material adverse effect on our business taken as a whole.

We make available free of charge on our Internet Web site (www.textron.com) our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Certain statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and other oral and written statements made by us from time to time are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, which may describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters, or project revenues, income, returns or other financial measures, often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “guidance,” “project,” “target,” “potential,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “likely” or “may” and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. In addition to those factors described herein under “Risk Factors,” among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from past and projected future results are the following:

Our businesses have experienced and continue to experience various degrees of disruption and reduced demand for certain of our products due to the unprecedented conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of COVID-19 have included and could continue to include disruption of the operation or temporary closure of certain of our facilities or the facilities of our

customers, suppliers or business partners as well as other disruptions in our supply chains. Challenges resulting from the pandemic have impacted, and may continue to impact, the ability of many of our employees to work effectively, due to illness, quarantines, facility closures, changes in manufacturing processes to accommodate social distancing guidelines, remote working arrangements, or other government-imposed operating restrictions. We have experienced and may continue to experience increased costs as a result of these business and production disruptions. Likewise, we have incurred and may continue to incur additional expenses related to implementing processes and procedures to comply with required operating restrictions and to enhance the safety of our facilities to protect the health of our employees.

Demand for business jets, turbo props and commercial helicopters has been cyclical and difficult to forecast. Unexpected events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have adversely impacted demand for our aircraft products and may continue to do so. Therefore, future demand for these products could be significantly and unexpectedly less than anticipated and/or less than previous period deliveries. Similarly, there is uncertainty as to when or whether our existing commercial backlog for aircraft products will convert to revenues as the conversion depends on production capacity, customer needs and credit availability. Changes in economic conditions has in the past caused, and in the future may cause, customers to request that firm orders be rescheduled, deferred or cancelled. Reduced demand for our aircraft products or delays or cancellations of orders previously has had and, in the future, could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows, results of operations and financial condition.

During 2020, we derived approximately 30% of our revenues from sales to a variety of U.S. Government entities.  Our revenues from the U.S. Government largely result from contracts awarded to us under various U.S. Government defense-related programs. The funding of these programs is subject to congressional appropriation decisions and the U.S. Government budget process which includes enacting relevant legislation, such as appropriations bills and accords on the debt ceiling. Although multiple-year contracts may be planned in connection with major procurements, Congress generally appropriates funds on a fiscal year basis

even though a program may continue for several years. Consequently, programs often are only partially funded initially, and additional funds are committed only as Congress makes further appropriations. Further uncertainty with respect to ongoing programs could also result in the event that the U.S. Government finances its operations through temporary funding measures such as “continuing resolutions” rather than full-year appropriations. If we incur costs in advance or in excess of funds committed on a contract, we are at risk for non-reimbursement of those costs until additional funds are appropriated.  The reduction, termination or delay in the timing of funding for U.S. Government programs for which we currently provide or propose to provide products or services from time to time has resulted and, in the future, may result in a loss of anticipated revenues. A loss of such revenues could materially and adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition. Significant changes in national and international policies or priorities for defense spending, as well as the potential impact of sequestration, could affect the funding, or the timing of funding, of our programs, which could negatively impact our results of operations and financial condition.  In addition, because our U.S. Government contracts generally require us to continue to perform even if the U.S. Government is unable to make timely payments, we may need to finance our continued performance for the impacted contracts from our other resources on an interim basis.  An extended delay in the timely payment by the U.S. Government could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity.

The U.S. Government typically can terminate or modify any of its contracts with us either for its convenience or if we default by failing to perform under the terms of the applicable contract. In the event of termination for the U.S. Government’s convenience, contractors are generally protected by provisions covering reimbursement for costs incurred on the contracts and profit on those costs but not the anticipated profit that would have been earned had the contract been completed. A termination arising out of our default for failure to perform could expose us to liability, including but not limited to, all costs incurred under the contract plus potential liability for re-procurement costs in excess of the total original contract amount, less the value of work performed and accepted by the customer under the contract. Such an event could also have an adverse effect on our ability to compete for future contracts and orders. If any of our contracts are terminated by the U.S. Government whether for convenience or default, our backlog would be reduced by the expected value of the remaining work under such contracts. We also enter into “fee for service” contracts with the U.S. Government where we retain ownership of, and consequently the risk of loss on, aircraft and equipment supplied to perform under these contracts. Termination of these contracts could materially and adversely impact our results of operations. On contracts for which we are teamed with others and are not the prime contractor, the U.S. Government could terminate a prime contract under which we are a subcontractor, irrespective of the quality of our products and services as a subcontractor. In addition, in the event that the U.S. Government is unable to make timely payments, failure to continue contract performance places the contractor at risk of termination for default. Any such event could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows, results of operations and financial condition.

We must comply with and are affected by laws and regulations relating to the formation, administration and performance of U.S. Government contracts. These laws and regulations, among other things, require certification and disclosure of all cost and pricing data in connection with contract negotiation, define allowable and unallowable costs and otherwise govern our right to reimbursement under certain cost-based U.S. Government contracts, and safeguard and restrict the use and dissemination of classified information, covered defense information, and the exportation of certain products and technical data. New laws, regulations or procurement requirements or changes to current ones (including, for example, regulations related to cybersecurity) can significantly increase our costs, reducing our profitability. Our failure to comply with procurement regulations and requirements could allow the U.S. Government to suspend or debar us from receiving new contracts for a period of time, reduce the value of existing contracts, issue modifications to a contract, withhold cash on contract payments, and control and potentially prohibit the export of our products, services and associated materials, any of which could negatively impact our results of operations, financial condition or liquidity. A number of our U.S. Government contracts contain provisions that require us to make disclosure to the Inspector General of the agency that is our customer if we have credible evidence that we have violated U.S. criminal laws involving fraud, conflict of interest, or bribery; the U.S. civil False Claims Act; or received a significant overpayment under a U.S. Government contract. Failure to properly and timely make disclosures under these provisions may result in a termination for default or cause, suspension and/or debarment, and potential fines.

We operate in a highly regulated environment and are routinely audited and reviewed by the U.S. Government and its agencies such as the DCAA and DCMA. These agencies review our performance under contracts, our cost structure and our compliance with laws and regulations applicable to U.S. Government contractors. The systems that are subject to review include, but are not limited to, our accounting, estimating, material management and accounting, earned value management, purchasing and government property systems. If an audit uncovers improper or illegal activities, we may be subject to civil and criminal penalties and administrative sanctions that may include the termination of our contracts, forfeiture or reduction of profits, suspension or

reduction of payments, fines, and, under certain circumstances, suspension or debarment from future contracts for a period of time. Whether or not illegal activities are alleged, the U.S. Government also has the ability to decrease or withhold certain payments when it deems systems subject to its review to be inadequate.  These laws and regulations affect how we conduct business with our government customers and, in some instances, impose added costs on our business.

The U.S. Government increasingly relies upon competitive contract award types, including indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity and multi-award contracts, which have the potential to create greater competition and increased pricing pressure, as well as to increase our cost by requiring that we submit multiple bids. In addition, multi-award contracts increase our cost as they require that we make sustained efforts to obtain task orders and delivery orders under the contract. Further, the competitive bidding process is costly and demands managerial time to prepare bids and proposals for contracts that may not be awarded to us or may be split among competitors.

Under fixed-price contracts, generally we receive a fixed price irrespective of the actual costs we incur, and, consequently, any costs in excess of the fixed price are absorbed by us. Changes in underlying assumptions, circumstances or estimates used in developing the pricing for such contracts can adversely affect our results of operations. Additionally, fixed-price contracts generally require progress payments rather than performance-based payments which can delay our ability to recover a significant amount of costs incurred on a contract and thus affect the timing of our cash flows. Under fixed-price incentive contracts, we share with the U.S. Government cost underrun savings, which are derived from total cost being less than target costs; we also share in cost overruns, which occur when total costs exceed target costs up to a negotiated cost ceiling, but are solely responsible for costs above the ceiling. Under time and materials contracts, we are paid for labor at negotiated hourly billing rates and for certain expenses. Under cost-reimbursement contracts that are subject to a contract-ceiling amount, we are reimbursed for allowable costs and paid a fee, which may be fixed or performance based, however, if our costs exceed the contract ceiling or are not allowable under the provisions of the contract or applicable regulations, we may not be able to obtain reimbursement for all such costs.  Due to the nature of our work under government contracts, we sometimes experience unforeseen technological difficulties and cost overruns. Under each type of contract, if we are unable to control costs or if our initial cost estimates are incorrect, our cash flows, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected. Cost overruns also may adversely affect our ability to sustain existing programs and obtain future contract awards.

To continue to grow our revenues and segment profit, we must successfully develop new products and technologies or modify our existing products and technologies for our current and future markets. Our future performance depends, in part, on our ability to identify emerging technological trends and customer requirements and to develop and maintain competitive products and services. Delays or cost overruns in the development and acceptance of new products or certification of new aircraft and other products occur from time to time and could adversely affect our results of operations. These delays could be caused by unanticipated technological hurdles, production changes to meet customer demands, unanticipated difficulties in obtaining required regulatory certifications of new aircraft or other products, coordination with joint venture partners or failure on the part of our suppliers to deliver components as agreed. We also could be adversely affected if our research and development efforts are less successful than expected or if we do not adequately protect the intellectual property developed through these efforts. Likewise, new products and technologies could generate unanticipated safety or other concerns resulting in expanded product liability risks, potential product recalls and other regulatory issues that could have an adverse impact on us. Furthermore, because of the lengthy research and development cycle involved in bringing certain of our products to market, we cannot predict the economic conditions that will exist when any new product is complete. A reduction in capital spending in the aerospace or defense industries could have a significant effect on the demand for new products and technologies under development, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our investments in equipment or technology that we believe will enable us to obtain future service contracts for our U.S. Government or other customers may not result in contracts or revenues sufficient to offset such investment. The market for our product offerings does not always develop or continue to expand as we anticipate. Furthermore, we cannot be sure that our competitors will not develop competing technologies which gain superior market acceptance compared to our products.  A significant failure in our new product development efforts or the failure of our products or services to achieve market acceptance relative to our competitors’ products or services could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We enter into acquisitions in an effort to expand our business and enhance shareholder value. Acquisitions involve risks and uncertainties that, in some cases, have resulted, and, in the future, could result in our not achieving expected benefits.  Such risks include difficulties in integrating newly acquired businesses and operations in an efficient and cost-effective manner; challenges in achieving expected strategic objectives, cost savings and other benefits; the risk that the acquired businesses’ markets do not evolve as anticipated and that the acquired businesses’ products and technologies do not prove to be those needed to be successful in those markets; the risk that our due diligence reviews of the acquired business do not identify or adequately assess all of the material issues which impact valuation of the business or result in costs or liabilities in excess of what we anticipated; the risk that we pay a purchase price that exceeds what the future results of operations would have merited; the risk that the acquired business may have significant internal control deficiencies or exposure to regulatory sanctions; and the potential loss of key customers, suppliers and employees of the acquired businesses.

Our information technology (IT) and related systems are critical to the efficient operation of our business and essential to our ability to perform day to day processes. From time to time, we update and/or replace IT systems used by our businesses.  The implementation of new systems can present temporary disruptions of business activities as existing processes are transitioned to the new systems, resulting in productivity issues, including delays in production, shipments or other business operations. We also outsource certain support functions, including certain global IT infrastructure services, to third-party service providers, and any disruption of such outsourced processes or functions could have a material adverse effect on our operations.  In addition, as a U.S. defense contractor, we face certain security threats, including threats to our IT infrastructure and unlawful attempts to gain access to our information via phishing / malware campaigns and other cyberattack methods, as well as threats to the physical security of our facilities and employees, as do our customers, suppliers, subcontractors and joint venture partners. Attempts to gain unauthorized access to our confidential, classified or otherwise proprietary information or that of our employees or customers, as well as other security breaches, are persistent, continue to evolve and require highly skilled IT resources.

We rely on other companies to provide raw materials, major components and subsystems for our products. Subcontractors also perform services that we provide to our customers in certain circumstances. We depend on these suppliers and subcontractors to meet our contractual obligations to our customers and conduct our operations. Our ability to meet our obligations to our customers could be adversely affected if suppliers or subcontractors do not provide the agreed-upon supplies or perform the agreed-upon services in compliance with customer requirements and in a timely and cost-effective manner. Likewise, the quality of our products could be adversely impacted if companies to whom we delegate manufacture of major components or subsystems for our products, or from whom we acquire such items, do not provide components or subsystems which meet required specifications and perform to our and our customers’ expectations. Our suppliers may be less likely than us to be able to quickly recover from natural disasters and other events beyond their control and may be subject to additional risks such as financial problems that limit their ability to conduct their operations. The risk of these adverse effects would likely be greater in circumstances where we rely on only one or two subcontractors or suppliers for a particular raw material, product or service. In particular, in the aircraft

industry, most vendor parts are certified by the regulatory agencies as part of the overall Type Certificate for the aircraft being produced by the manufacturer. If a vendor does not or cannot supply its parts, then the manufacturer’s production line may be stopped until the manufacturer can design, manufacture and certify a similar part itself or identify and certify another similar vendor’s part, resulting in significant delays in the completion of aircraft. Such events may adversely affect our financial results, damage our reputation and relationships with our customers, and result in regulatory actions and/or litigation.

During 2020, we derived approximately 32% of our revenues from international business, including U.S. exports. Conducting business internationally exposes us to additional risks than if we conducted our business solely within the U.S. We maintain manufacturing facilities, service centers, supply centers and other facilities worldwide, including in various emerging market countries.  Risks related to international operations include import, export, economic sanctions and other trade restrictions; changing U.S. and foreign procurement policies and practices; changes in international trade policies, including higher tariffs on imported goods and materials and renegotiation of free trade agreements; potential retaliatory tariffs imposed by foreign countries against U.S. goods; impacts related to the voluntary exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Brexit); restrictions on technology transfer; difficulties in protecting intellectual property; increasing complexity of employment and environmental, health and safety regulations; foreign investment laws; exchange controls; repatriation of earnings or cash settlement challenges; compliance with increasingly rigorous data privacy and protection laws; competition from foreign and multinational firms with home country advantages; economic and government instability, acts of terrorism and related safety concerns.  The impact of any one or more of these or other factors could adversely affect our business, financial condition or operating results.

Natural disasters, including hurricanes, fires, tornados, floods and other forms of severe weather, the intensity and frequency of which are being exacerbated by climate change, other impacts of climate change, such as rising sea waters, as well as other events outside of our control including public health crises or pandemics, power outages and industrial accidents, have in the past and could in the future disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business. Any of these events could result in physical damage to and/or complete or partial closure of one or more of our facilities, temporary or long-term disruption of our operations or the operations of our suppliers by causing business interruptions or by impacting the availability and cost of materials needed for manufacturing or otherwise impacting our ability to deliver products and services to our customers. Existing insurance arrangements may not provide full protection for the costs that may arise from such events. The occurrence of any of these events could materially increase our costs and expenses and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The financial performance of our Finance segment depends on the quality of loans, leases and other assets in its portfolio. Portfolio quality can be adversely affected by several factors, including finance receivable underwriting procedures, collateral value, geographic or industry concentrations, and the effect of general economic conditions such as the recent deterioration of the economy due to the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has resulted in disruptions in the ability of many of our customers to conduct business effectively because of illness, quarantines, government shut-down orders, facility closures, reduced customer demand or other restrictions. As a result, our Finance segment has modified a significant number of the loans in its portfolio in order to provide temporary payment relief to its customers. In addition, the Finance segment has provided extended payment relief to certain customers. These modifications will delay our ultimate recovery on these assets. In addition, a substantial number of the originations in our finance receivable portfolio are cross-border transactions for aircraft sold outside of the U.S. Cross-border transactions present additional challenges and risks in the event of borrower default, which can result in difficulty or delay in collecting on the related finance receivables. Should current economic conditions persist or worsen, our

Finance segment may have difficulty successfully collecting on its finance receivable portfolio, and as a result our cash flow, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

We periodically need to obtain financing in order to meet our debt obligations as they come due, to support our operations and/or to make acquisitions. Our access to the debt capital markets and the cost of borrowings are affected by a number of factors including market conditions and the strength of our credit ratings. If we cannot obtain adequate sources of credit on favorable terms, or at all, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely affected.

We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and various non-U.S. jurisdictions, and our domestic and international tax liabilities are subject to the location of income among these different jurisdictions. Our effective tax rate could be adversely affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in the amount of earnings indefinitely reinvested offshore, changes to unrecognized tax benefits or changes in tax laws, which could affect our profitability. In particular, the carrying value of deferred tax assets is dependent on our ability to generate future taxable income, as well as changes to applicable statutory tax rates. In addition, the amount of income taxes we pay is subject to audits in various jurisdictions, and a material assessment by a tax authority could affect our profitability.

As a global business, we are subject to laws and regulations in the U.S. and other countries in which we operate. International sales and global operations require importing and exporting goods, software and technology, some of which have military applications subjecting them to more stringent import-export controls across international borders on a regular basis. For example, we sometimes initially must obtain licenses and authorizations from various U.S. Government agencies before we are permitted to sell certain of our aerospace and defense products outside the U.S., and we are not always successful in obtaining these licenses or authorizations in a timely manner. Both U.S. and foreign laws and regulations applicable to us have been increasing in scope and complexity. For example, both U.S. and foreign governments and government agencies regulate the aviation industry, and they have previously and may in the future impose new regulations for additional aircraft security or other requirements or restrictions, including, for example, restrictions and/or fees related to carbon emissions levels. Changes in environmental and climate change laws and regulations, including laws relating to greenhouse gas emissions, could lead to the necessity for new or additional investment in product designs or manufacturing processes and could increase environmental compliance expenditures, including costs to defend regulatory reviews. New or changing laws and regulations or related interpretation and policies could increase our costs of doing business, affect how we conduct our operations, adversely impact demand for our products, and/or limit our ability to sell our products and services. Compliance with laws and regulations of increasing scope and complexity is even more challenging in our current business environment in which reducing our operating costs is often necessary to remain competitive. In addition, a violation of U.S. and/or foreign laws by one of our employees or business partners could subject us or our employees to civil or criminal penalties, including material monetary fines, or other adverse actions, such as denial of import or export privileges and/or debarment as a government contractor which could damage our reputation and have an adverse effect on our business.

As a distributor of consumer products in the U.S., certain of our products are subject to the Consumer Product Safety Act, which empowers the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to exclude from the market products that are found to be unsafe or hazardous. Under certain circumstances, the CPSC could require us to repair, replace or refund the purchase price of one or more of our products, or potentially even discontinue entire product lines. We also may voluntarily take such action and, from time to time, have done so, but within strictures recommended by the CPSC. The CPSC also can impose fines or penalties on a manufacturer for non-compliance with its requirements. Furthermore, failure to timely notify the CPSC of a potential safety hazard can result in significant fines being assessed against us. Any repurchases or recalls of our products or an imposition of fines or penalties could be costly to us and could damage the reputation or the value of our brands. Additionally, laws regulating certain consumer products exist in some states, as well as in other countries in which we sell our products, and more restrictive laws and regulations could be adopted in the future.

Increased public awareness and concern regarding global climate change may result in more international, regional and/or federal requirements to reduce or mitigate global warming and these regulations could mandate stricter limits on greenhouse gas emissions. If environmental or climate change laws or regulations are either changed or adopted and impose significant operational restrictions and compliance requirements upon our business or our products, they could negatively impact our business, capital expenditures, results of operations, financial condition and competitive position.

We are subject to legal proceedings and other claims arising out of the conduct of our business, including proceedings and claims relating to commercial and financial transactions; government contracts; alleged lack of compliance with applicable laws and regulations; production partners; product liability; patent and trademark infringement; employment disputes; and environmental, safety and health matters.  Due to the nature of our manufacturing business, we are regularly subject to liability claims arising from accidents involving our products, including claims for serious personal injuries or death caused by weather or by pilot, driver or user error. In the case of litigation matters for which reserves have not been established because the loss is not deemed probable, it is reasonably possible that such claims could be decided against us and could require us to pay damages or make other expenditures in amounts that are not presently estimable. In addition, we cannot be certain that our reserves are adequate and that our insurance coverage will be sufficient to cover one or more substantial claims. Furthermore, we may not be able to obtain insurance coverage at acceptable levels and costs in the future.  Litigation is inherently unpredictable, and we could incur judgments, receive adverse arbitration awards or enter into settlements for current or future claims that could adversely affect our results of operations in any particular period.

Our success is highly dependent upon our ability to maintain a workforce with the skills necessary for our businesses to succeed. We need highly skilled personnel in multiple areas including, among others, engineering, manufacturing, information technology, cybersecurity, flight operations, business development and strategy and management.  From time to time we face challenges that may impact employee retention such as workforce reductions and facility consolidations and closures. In addition, some of our most experienced employees are retirement-eligible.  To the extent that we lose experienced personnel through retirement or otherwise, it is critical for us to develop other employees, hire new qualified employees and successfully manage the transfer of critical knowledge.  Competition for skilled employees is intense, and we may incur higher labor, recruiting and/or training costs in order to attract and retain employees with the requisite skills. We may not be successful in hiring or retaining such employees which could adversely impact our business and results of operations.

Our results of operations and cash flows may be adversely impacted by increasing costs and funding requirements related to our employee benefit plans. The obligation for our defined benefit pension plans is driven by, among other things, our assumptions of the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and the discount rate used for future payment obligations. Additionally, as part of our annual evaluation of these plans, significant changes in our assumptions, due to changes in economic, legislative and/or demographic experience or circumstances, or changes in our actual investment returns could negatively impact the funded status of our plans requiring us to substantially increase our pension liability with a resulting decrease in shareholders’ equity. Also, changes in pension legislation and regulations could increase the cost associated with our defined benefit pension plans.

Approximately 6,800, or 28%, of our U.S. employees are unionized, and many of our non-U.S. employees are represented by organized councils. As a result, from time to time we experience work stoppages, which can negatively impact our ability to manufacture our products on a timely basis, resulting in strain on our relationships with our customers, loss or delay of revenues and/or increased cost. The presence of unions also may limit our flexibility in responding to competitive pressures in the marketplace. In addition, the workforces of many of our suppliers and customers are represented by labor unions. Work stoppages or strikes at the plants of our key suppliers could disrupt our manufacturing processes; similar actions at the plants of our customers could result in delayed or canceled orders for our products. Any of these events could adversely affect our results of operations.

The following provides information about our fourth quarter 2020 repurchases of equity securities that are registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended:

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

During 2020, the global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, known as “COVID-19”, led to worldwide facility closures, workforce disruptions, supply chain destabilizations, reduced demand for many products and services, volatility in the capital markets and uncertainty in the economic outlook. Our operations experienced and continue to experience various degrees of disruption due to the unprecedented conditions surrounding the pandemic. While some of our commercial manufacturing facilities had temporarily closed during the first quarter of 2020 through the latter part of the second quarter due to reduced demand for certain of our products, substantially all manufacturing activities had resumed in the third quarter. In the second half of the year, our commercial businesses have generally experienced an increase in customer demand compared with the first half of 2020. However, demand has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

For an overview of our business segments, including a discussion of our major products and services, refer to Item 1. Business. A discussion of our financial condition and operating results for 2020 compared with 2019 is provided below, while a discussion of 2019 compared with 2018 can be found in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 4, 2020. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and related Notes included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Revenues decreased $2.0 billion, 15%, in 2020, compared with 2019. The revenue decrease included the following factors:

Cost of sales decreased $1.3 billion, 12%, in 2020, compared with 2019, largely due to lower net volume and mix described above. The decrease in cost of sales was partially offset by idle facility costs of $142 million, primarily at the Textron Aviation segment, reflecting unfavorable absorption of manufacturing costs attributable to abnormally low production levels resulting from the pandemic and temporary manufacturing facility closures, and a $55 million inventory charge related to the TRU business discussed in Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. Gross margin as a percentage of Manufacturing revenues decreased 290 basis points in 2020, compared with 2019, primarily due to lower margin at the Textron Aviation segment reflecting unfavorable impacts from the pandemic, including the idle facility costs and inventory valuation charges.

Special charges of $147 million and $72 million in 2020 and 2019, respectively, primarily include restructuring activities and intangible asset impairment charges as described in Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Textron Aviation’s revenues decreased $1.2 billion, 23%, in 2020, compared with 2019, largely due to lower Citation jet volume of $688 million and lower commercial turboprop volume of $228 million, reflecting a decline in demand related to the pandemic, and lower aftermarket volume of $337 million, reflecting lower aircraft utilization resulting from the pandemic. We delivered 132 Citation jets and 113 commercial turboprops in 2020, compared with 206 Citation jets and 176 commercial turboprops in 2019.

Bell’s backlog decreased $1.6 billion, 23%, in 2020, primarily as a result of revenues recognized on our U.S. Government contracts in excess of new contracts received. 

Backlog at Textron Systems’ increased $1.3 billion in 2020, primarily due to new contracts received in excess of revenues recognized across all product lines.

The Finance group provides financing primarily to purchasers of new and pre-owned Textron Aviation aircraft and Bell helicopters manufactured by our Manufacturing group, otherwise known as captive financing. In the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, cash received from customers is reflected as operating activities when received from third parties. However, in the cash flow information provided for the separate borrowing groups, cash flows related to captive financing activities are reflected based on the operations of each group. For example, when product is sold by our Manufacturing group to a customer and is financed by the Finance group, the origination of the finance receivable is recorded within investing activities as a cash outflow in the Finance group’s statement of cash flows. Meanwhile, in the Manufacturing group’s statement of cash flows, the cash received from the Finance group on the customer’s behalf is recorded within operating cash flows as a cash inflow. Although cash is transferred between the two borrowing groups, there is no cash transaction reported in the consolidated cash flows at the time of the original financing. These captive financing activities, along with all significant intercompany transactions, are reclassified or eliminated from the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

We maintain defined benefit pension plans and postretirement benefit plans other than pensions as described in Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. Included in the above table are discounted estimated benefit payments we expect to make related to unfunded pension and other postretirement benefit plans. Actual benefit payments are dependent on a number of factors, including mortality assumptions, expected retirement age, rate of compensation increases and medical trend rates, which are subject to change in future years. Our policy for funding pension plans is to make contributions annually, consistent with applicable laws and regulations; however, future contributions to our pension plans are not included in the above table.  In 2021, we expect to make approximately $22 million of contributions to our funded pension plans. Based on our current assumptions, which may vary with changes in market conditions, our current contribution for each of the years from 2022 through 2025 is estimated to be approximately $51 million under the plan provisions in place at this time.

Other long-term liabilities consist of undiscounted amounts in the Consolidated Balance Sheets that primarily include obligations under deferred compensation arrangements and estimated environmental remediation costs. Payments under deferred compensation arrangements have been estimated based on management’s assumptions of expected retirement age, mortality, stock price and rates of return on participant deferrals. The timing of cash flows associated with environmental remediation costs is largely based on historical experience. Certain other long-term liabilities, such as deferred taxes, unrecognized tax benefits, and reserves for product liability, warranty, product maintenance and litigation, have been excluded from the table due to the uncertainty of the timing of payments combined with the absence of historical trends to be used as a predictor for such payments.

Purchase obligations include undiscounted amounts committed under legally enforceable contracts or purchase orders for goods and services with defined terms as to price, quantity and delivery dates. Approximately 42% of the purchase obligations we

disclose represent purchase orders issued for goods and services to be delivered under firm contracts with the U.S. Government for which we have full recourse under customary contract termination clauses.

A substantial portion of our revenues is related to long-term contracts with the U.S. Government, including those under the U.S. Government-sponsored foreign military sales program, for the design, development, manufacture or modification of aerospace and defense products as well as related parts and services. We generally use the cost-to-cost method to measure progress for these contracts because it best depicts the transfer of control to the customer that occurs as we incur costs on our contracts. Under this measure, the extent of progress towards completion is measured based on the ratio of costs incurred to date to the estimated costs at completion of the performance obligation, and revenue is recorded proportionally as costs are incurred.

We evaluate the recoverability of goodwill annually in the fourth quarter or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances, such as declines in sales, earnings or cash flows, or material adverse changes in the business climate, indicate a potential impairment of a reporting unit. A reporting unit represents the operating segment unless discrete financial information is prepared and reviewed by segment management for businesses one level below that operating segment, in which case such component is the reporting unit. In certain instances, we have aggregated components of an operating segment into a single reporting unit based on similar economic characteristics.

We sponsor funded and unfunded domestic and international pension and postretirement plans for certain of our employees. Beginning on January 1, 2010, we initiated actions to commence the closure of the pension plans to new entrants. We provide employees hired subsequent to these closures with defined contribution benefits. Our pension and postretirement benefit obligations are calculated based on actuarial valuations. Key assumptions used in determining these obligations and related expenses or benefits include the expected long-term rates of return on plan assets, discount rates and healthcare cost projections. We also make assumptions regarding employee demographic factors such as retirement patterns, mortality, turnover and rate of compensation increases. We evaluate and update these assumptions annually.

In the normal course of business, we enter into financial instruments for purposes other than trading. The financial instruments that are subject to market risk include finance receivables (excluding leases), debt (excluding finance lease obligations) and foreign currency exchange contracts. To quantify the market risk inherent in these financial instruments, we utilize a sensitivity analysis that includes a hypothetical change in fair value assuming a 10% decrease in interest rates and a 10% strengthening in foreign exchange rates against the U.S. dollar. The fair value of these financial instruments is estimated using discounted cash flow analysis and indicative market pricing as reported by leading financial news and data providers.