MillerKnoll (MLKN) 10-K2020 FY Annual report

Herman Miller's mission statement is Inspiring Designs to Help People Do Great Things. To this end, the Company researches, designs, manufactures and distributes interior furnishings for use in various environments including office, healthcare, educational and residential settings and provides related services that support organizations and individuals all over the world. Through research, the Company seeks to understand, define and clarify customer needs and problems existing in its markets and to design products, systems and services that serve as innovative solutions to those needs and problems. The Company's products are sold primarily through the following channels: Owned and independent contract furniture dealers, direct customer sales, owned and independent retailers, direct-mail catalogs and the Company's e-commerce platforms.

The Company was incorporated in Michigan in 1905. As the global design leader in our market, we established Herman Miller Group, a family of brands that collectively offers a variety of products for environments where people live, learn, work, heal and play. The family of brands includes Herman Miller®, Design Within Reach®, Geiger®, Maharam®, Nemschoff®, Colebrook Bosson Saunders®, naughtone®, Maars® Living Walls and HAY®. All of these companies are considered controlled subsidiaries, except for Maars of which the Company owns 48.2% of as of May 30, 2020. Herman Miller's corporate offices are located at 855 East Main Avenue, PO Box 302, Zeeland, Michigan, 49464-0302 and its telephone number is (616) 654-3000. Unless otherwise noted or indicated by the context, all references to "Herman Miller," "we," "our," "Company" and similar references are to Herman Miller, Inc. and its controlled subsidiaries. Further information relating to principles of consolidation is provided in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this report.

Information relating to segments is provided in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this report.

The Company's principal business consists of the research, design, manufacture, selling and distribution of seating products, office furniture systems, other freestanding furniture elements, textiles, home furnishings and related services.

The Company's ingenuity and design excellence create award-winning products and services, which have made the Company a leader in the design and development of furniture, furniture systems, textiles and technology solutions. This leadership is exemplified by the innovative concepts introduced by the Company in its broad array of seating products (including Embody®, Aeron®, Mirra2™, Setu®, Sayl®, Verus®, Cosm®, Lino®, Verus®, Celle®, Equa®,

Taper™ and Ergon® office chairs) and modular systems (including Canvas Office Landscape®, Locale®, Public Office Landscape®, Layout Studio®, Action Office®, Ethospace®, Arras®, Prospect®, Overlay™ and Resolve®). The Company also offers storage (including Meridian® and Tu® products), wood casegoods (including Geiger® products), freestanding furniture products (including Abak™, Intent®, Sense™ and Envelop®), healthcare products (including Palisade™, Compass™, Nala®, Ava® and other Nemschoff® products), the Thrive portfolio of ergonomic solutions, ergonomic and technology support products (including Colebrook Bosson Saunders® products) and the textiles of Maharam Fabric Corporation (Maharam®). The Live Platform™ system of cloud-connected furnishings, applications and dashboards provides data-enabled solutions for the Company's customers.

The Company also offers products for residential settings, including Eames®, Eames (lounge chair configuration)®, Eames (management chair configuration)®, Eames Soft Pad™, HAY®, Nelson™ basic cabinet series, Nelson™ end table, Nelson™ lanterns, Nelson™ marshmallow sofa, Nelson™ miniature chests, Nelson™ platform bench, Nelson™ swag leg group, Nelson™ tray table, Bubble Lamps®, Airia™, Ardea®, Bumper™, Burdick Group™, Everywhere™ tables, Claw™, Caper®, Distil™, Envelope™, Formwork®, Full Round™, H Frame™, I Beam™, Landmark™, Logic Mini™, Logic Power Access Solutions™, Renew™, Rolled Arm™, Scissor™, Sled™, Soft Pad™, Swoop™, Tone™, Twist™, Ward Bennett™ and Wireframe™. The Company also offers residential and ancillary products through its subsidiaries, including: the Line™ Storage Collection, Lina™ Swivel Chair, Matera™ Bedroom Collection, Emmy™ Sofa Collection, Story™ Bookcase and Sømmer™ Outdoor Collection for Design Within Reach®; the Always™ Lounge Chair, Always™ Chair, Polly™ Chair, Viv™ Chair, and Hush™ Chair for naughtone®; and the Mags™ Sofa and About A™ Chair Collections for HAY®.

The Company's products are marketed worldwide by its own sales staff, independent dealers and retailers, its owned dealers, via its e-commerce websites and through its owned Design Within Reach ("DWR") and HAY retail studios. Salespeople work with dealers, the architecture and design community, and directly with end-users. Independent dealerships concentrate on the sale of Herman Miller Group products and some complementary product lines of other manufacturers. It is estimated that approximately 70 percent of the Company's sales in the fiscal year ended May 30, 2020, were made to or through independent dealers. The remaining sales were made directly to end-users, including federal, state and local governments and several business organizations by the Company's own sales staff, its owned dealer network, its retail channels or independent retailers.

The Company is a recognized leader within its industry for the use, development and integration of customer-centered technologies that enhance the reliability, speed and efficiency of our customers' operations. This includes proprietary sales tools, interior design and product specification software; order entry and manufacturing scheduling and production systems; and direct connectivity to the Company's suppliers.

The Company's furniture systems, seating, freestanding furniture, storage, casegood and textile products, and related services are used in (1) institutional environments including offices and related conference, lobby, and lounge areas and general public areas including transportation terminals; (2) health/science environments including hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities; (3) industrial and educational settings; and (4) residential and other environments.

The Company's manufacturing materials are available from a significant number of sources within North America, South America, Europe and Asia. To date, the Company experienced limited disruptions during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 as result of the COVID-19 pandemic in its supply chain, but subsequently has not experienced any difficulties in obtaining its raw materials. The costs of certain direct materials used in the Company's manufacturing and assembly operations are sensitive to shifts in commodity market prices. In particular, the costs of steel, plastic, aluminum components and particleboard are sensitive to the market prices of commodities such as raw steel, aluminum, crude oil, lumber and resins. Increases in the market prices for these commodities can have an adverse impact on the Company's profitability. Further information regarding the impact of direct material costs on the Company's financial results is provided in Management's Discussion and Analysis in Item 7 of this report, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”.

The Company has active utility and design patents in the United States. Many of the inventions covered by these patents also have been patented in a number of foreign countries. Various trademarks, including the name and stylized “Herman Miller” and the “Herman Miller Circled Symbolic M” trademark are registered in the United States and many foreign countries. The Company does not believe that any material part of its business depends on the continued availability of any one or all of its patents or trademarks, or that its business would be materially and adversely affected by the loss of any such marks, except for the following trademarks: Herman Miller®, Herman Miller Circled Symbolic M®, Maharam®, Geiger®, Design Within Reach®, DWR®, HAY®, naughtone®, Nemschoff®, Action Office®, Aeron®, Mirra®, Embody®, Setu®, Sayl®, Cosm®, Caper®, Eames®, Eames Lounge & Ottoman Configurations, Eames Aluminum Group Configuration, and Canvas Office Landscape®.

Information concerning the Company's working capital levels relative to its sales volume can be found under the Executive Overview section in Item 7 of this report, “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”. Beyond this discussion, the Company does not believe that it or the industry in general has any special practices or special conditions affecting working capital items that are significant for understanding the Company's business.

The Company estimates that no single dealer accounted for more than 4 percent of the Company's net sales in the fiscal year ended May 30, 2020. The Company estimates that the largest single end-user customer accounted for $122.9 million, $129.6 million and $109.8 million of the Company's net sales in fiscal 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. This represents approximately 5 percent of the Company's net sales in fiscal 2020, 2019 and 2018. The Company's 10 largest customers in the aggregate accounted for approximately 18 percent, 18 percent, and 19 percent of net sales in fiscal 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.

As of May 30, 2020, the Company's backlog of unfilled orders was $470.8 million. At June 1, 2019, the Company's backlog totaled $394.2 million. The increase in backlog in the current year was primarily due to delays in processing customer orders in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 and related facility shut-downs. It is expected that substantially all the orders forming the backlog at May 30, 2020, will be filled during the next fiscal year. Many orders received by the Company are reflected in the backlog for only a short period while other orders specify delayed shipments and are carried in the backlog for up to one year. Accordingly, the amount of the backlog at any particular time does not necessarily indicate the level of net sales for a particular succeeding period.

Other than standard provisions contained in contracts with the United States Government, the Company does not believe that any significant portion of its business is subject to material renegotiation of profits or termination of contracts or subcontracts at the election of various government entities. The Company sells to the U.S. Government both through a General Services Administration ("GSA") Multiple Award Schedule Contract and through competitive bids. The GSA Multiple Award Schedule Contract pricing is principally based upon the Company's commercial price list in effect when the contract is initiated, rather than being determined on a cost-plus-basis. The Company is required to receive GSA approval to apply list price increases during the term of the Multiple Award Schedule Contract period.

All aspects of the Company's business are highly competitive. From an office furniture perspective, the Company competes largely on design, product and service quality, speed of delivery and product pricing. Although the Company is one of the largest office furniture manufacturers in the world, it competes with manufacturers that have significant resources and sales as well as many smaller companies. The Company's most significant competitors are Haworth, HNI Corporation, Kimball International, Knoll and Steelcase.

The Company also competes in the home furnishings industry, primarily against national, regional and independent home furnishings retailers who market high-craft furniture to end-user customers and the interior design community.

These competitors include companies such as Crate & Barrel Holdings, Inc., Hive Modern, Restoration Hardware, Room & Board, Wayfair and Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Similar to its office furniture product offerings, the Company competes primarily on design, product and service quality, speed of delivery and product pricing in this market.

The Company believes it draws great competitive strength from its research, design and development programs. Through research, the Company seeks to understand, define and clarify customer needs and problems they are trying to solve. The Company designs innovative products and services that address customer needs and solve their problems. The Company uses both internal and independent research resources and independent design resources. Exclusive of royalty payments, the Company spent approximately $54.3 million, $58.8 million and $57.1 million on research and development activities in fiscal 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Generally, royalties are paid to designers of the Company's products as the products are sold and are included in the Design and Research line item within the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

Respecting the environment has been more than good business practice for the Company - it is the right thing to do. The Company’s commitment to the planet is embedded in its corporate strategy and will continue to develop as the Company outlines next steps in its sustainability strategy. As part of this commitment, the Company focuses on operating its global footprint with minimal impact on the environment and designing products with materials and processes that are safe for both people and the planet. Based on current facts known to management, the Company does not believe that existing environmental laws and regulations have had or will have any material effect upon the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Company. However, there can be no assurance that environmental legislation will not result in or require material capital expenditures or additional costs to our manufacturing process.

As of May 30, 2020, the Company had approximately 7,600 employees, representing a 5 percent decrease as compared with June 1, 2019. In addition to its employee workforce, the Company uses temporary labor to meet fluctuating demand in its manufacturing operations.

The Company's sales in international markets are made primarily to office/institutional customers. Foreign sales consist mostly of office furniture products such as Aeron®, Mirra®, Sayl®, Setu®, Layout Studio®, Imagine Desking System®, Ratio®, Cosm®, and other seating and storage products and ergonomic accessories such as the Flo® monitor arm. The Company conducts business in the following major international markets: Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Asia/Pacific region.

The Company's products currently sold in international markets are manufactured primarily by wholly owned subsidiaries in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Brazil and India. A portion of the Company's products sold internationally are also manufactured by third-party suppliers. Sales are made through wholly owned subsidiaries or branches in Canada, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Korea, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, China (including Hong Kong), India and Brazil. The Company's products are offered in Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Asia/Pacific region primarily through dealers.

Additional information with respect to operations by geographic area appears in Note 14 of the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this report. Fluctuating exchange rates and factors beyond the control of the Company, such as tariff and foreign economic policies, may affect future results of international operations. Refer to Item 7A, Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk, for further discussion regarding the Company's foreign exchange risk.

The Company's annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports are made available free of charge through the “Investors” section of the Company's internet website at www.hermanmiller.com, as soon as practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Company's filings with the SEC are also available for the public to read via the SEC's internet website at www.sec.gov. You may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

The following risk factors and other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K should be carefully considered. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face; others, either unforeseen or currently deemed less significant, may also have a negative impact on our Company. If any of the following occurs, our business, operating results, cash flows, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.

We have established a growth strategy for the business based on a changing and evolving world. Through this strategy we are focused on taking advantage of the changing composition of the office floor plate, the greater desire for customization from our customers, new technologies and trends towards urbanization and working from home.

 

To that end, we intend to grow in certain targeted ways. First, we will unlock the power of One Herman Miller by building an agile, collaborative, globally-connected organization fit for continuous evolution. This will also include simplifying and tailoring our go-to-market approach, as well as continuing to lead in product innovation across all businesses. Second, we intend to build a customer-centric, digitally enabled business model by leveraging our deep understanding of customer journeys to deliver inspired products and frictionless customer experiences. Inclusive of this will be to drive step-change in our data, analytics, marketing, and brand capabilities, as well as to strengthen our core technology backbone. Third, we intend to accelerate profitable growth by strengthening and evolving our core contract business, driving outsized growth in our international business and expanding our retail business. Finally, we believe it is a business imperative to reinforce our commitment to our people, planet and communities in a more integrated way than ever before. Beyond simply being the right thing to do, we are confident that elevating our focus on positive social and environmental business practices will beneficially impact our customers and enhance returns for our shareholders over the long term. Refer to the "Executive Overview" section within Item 7 for further discussion of our areas of strategic focus.

While we have confidence that our strategic plan reflects opportunities that are appropriate and achievable and that we have anticipated and will manage the associated risks, there is the possibility that the strategy may not deliver the projected results due to inadequate execution, incorrect assumptions, sub-optimal resource allocation, or changing customer requirements.

 

To meet these goals, we believe we will be required to continually invest in the research, design and development of new products and services, and there is no assurance that such investments will have commercially successful results.

 

Certain growth opportunities may require us to invest in acquisitions, alliances and the startup of new business ventures. These investments, if available, may not perform according to plan and may involve the assumption of business, operational or other risks that are new to our business.

 

Future efforts to expand our business within developing economies, particularly within China and India, may expose us to the effects of political and economic instability. Such instability may impact our ability to compete for business. It may also put the availability and/or value of our capital investments within these regions at risk. These expansion efforts expose us to operating environments with complex, changing and in some cases, inconsistently-applied legal and regulatory requirements. Developing knowledge and understanding of these requirements poses a significant challenge and failure to remain compliant with them could limit our ability to continue doing business in these locations.

 

Pursuing our strategic plan in new and adjacent markets, as well as within developing economies, will require us to find effective new channels of distribution. There is no assurance that we can develop or otherwise identify these channels of distribution.

From time to time, various disease outbreaks may adversely impact our business, consolidated results of operations and financial condition, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic which has had such an adverse impact. The Company has global manufacturing facilities, suppliers, dealers and customers. Therefore, COVID-19, as well as measures taken by governmental authorities and other organizations and individuals to limit the spread of this virus, may interfere with the ability of our employees, suppliers and other business providers to carry out their assigned tasks or supply materials at ordinary levels of performance relative to the conduct of our business. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant percentage of the traditional office workforce to work away from their office location. It is reasonable to assume, at least in the near-term, that this will have an adverse impact on the demand for office furniture and related products. This has caused, and may continue to cause, us to materially curtail certain of our business operations, and has had and could continue to have, a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flow.

Customer demand within the contract office furniture and retail furnishings industries is affected by various macro-economic factors; general corporate profitability, service sector employment levels, new office construction rates and existing office vacancy rates are among the most influential factors. History has shown that declines in these measures can have an adverse effect on overall office furniture demand. Additionally, factors and changes specific to our industry, such as developments in technology, governmental standards and regulations, and health and safety issues can influence demand. There are current and future economic and industry conditions that could adversely affect our business, operating results, or financial condition.

Other macroeconomic developments, such as the United Kingdom referendum on European Union membership (commonly known as Brexit) could negatively affect the Company's ability to conduct business in those geographies. The current political and economic uncertainty relating to Brexit brings caution to the Company’s customer base as

capital investments are potentially put on hold pending the outcome of the negotiations. Furthermore, concerns exist relating to potential tariffs and customs regulations and the potential for short term logistics disruption as any such changes are implemented. This will impact both the Company's suppliers and customers, including distributors, and could result in product delays and inventory issues. Further uncertainty in the marketplace also brings risk to accounts receivable and could result in delays in collection and greater bad debt expense. There also remains a risk for the value of the British Pound and/or the Euro to further deteriorate, reducing the purchasing power of customers in these regions and potentially undermining the financial health of the Company's suppliers and customers in other parts of the world.

We are one of several companies competing for new business within the office furniture industry. Many of our competitors offer similar categories of products, including office seating, systems and freestanding office furniture, casegoods, storage as well as residential, education and healthcare furniture solutions. Although we believe that our innovative product design, functionality, quality, depth of knowledge, and strong network of distribution partners differentiate us in the marketplace, increased market pricing pressure could make it difficult for us to win new business with certain customers and within certain market segments at acceptable profit margins.

The retail furnishings market is highly competitive. We compete with national and regional furniture retailers, mail order catalogs and online retailers focused on home furnishings. We compete with these and other retailers for customers, suitable retail locations, vendors, qualified employees and management personnel. Some of our competitors have significantly greater financial, marketing and other resources than we possess. This may result in our competitors being quicker at the following: adapting to changes, devoting greater resources to the marketing and sale of their products, generating greater national brand recognition, or adopting more aggressive pricing and promotional policies, including free shipping offers. In addition, increased catalog mailings and/or digital marketing campaigns by our competitors may adversely affect response rates to our own marketing efforts. As a result, increased competition may adversely affect our future financial performance.

We have significant manufacturing and sales operations in the United Kingdom, which represents our largest marketplace outside the United States. We also have manufacturing operations in China, India, and Brazil. Additionally, our products are sold internationally through controlled subsidiaries or branches in Canada, Denmark, Korea, Mexico, Australia, China (including Hong Kong), India and Brazil. The Company's products are offered in Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Asia/Pacific region primarily through dealers.

Doing business internationally exposes us to certain risks, many of which are beyond our control and could potentially impact our ability to design, develop, manufacture, or sell products in certain countries. These factors could include, but would not necessarily be limited to:

In some countries, the currencies in which we import and export products can differ. Fluctuations in the rate of exchange between these currencies could negatively impact our business and our financial performance. Additionally, tariff and import regulations, international tax policies and rates, and changes in U.S. and international monetary policies may have an adverse impact on results of operations and financial condition.

We collect certain customer-specific data, including credit card information, in connection with orders placed through our e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalog marketing program, and retail studios. For these sales channels to function and develop successfully, we and other parties involved in processing customer transactions must be able to transmit confidential information, including credit card information and other personal information regarding our customers, securely over public and private networks. Third parties may have or develop the technology or knowledge to breach, disable, disrupt or interfere with our systems or processes or those of our vendors. While we believe we take reasonable steps to protect the security and confidentiality of the information we collect, we cannot guarantee that our security measures will effectively prevent others from obtaining unauthorized access to our information and our customers’ information. The techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to systems change frequently and are not often recognized until after they have been launched.

Any person who circumvents our security measures could destroy or steal valuable information or disrupt our operations. Any security breach could cause consumers to lose confidence in the security of our information systems, including our e-commerce websites or retail studios and choose not to purchase from us. Any security breach could also expose us to risks of data loss, litigation, regulatory investigations, and other significant liabilities. Such a breach could also seriously disrupt, slow or hinder our operations and harm our reputation and customer relationships, any of which could damage our business.

A security breach includes a third party wrongfully gaining unauthorized access to our systems for the purpose of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, loading corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. These actions may lead to a significant disruption of the Company’s IT systems and/or cause the loss of business and business information resulting in an adverse business impact, including: (1) an adverse impact on future financial results due to theft, destruction, loss misappropriation, or release of confidential data or intellectual property; (2) operational or business delays resulting from the disruption of IT systems, and subsequent clean-up and mitigation activities; and (3) negative publicity resulting in reputation or brand damage with customers, partners or industry peers.

The United States federal and state governments are increasingly enacting laws and regulations to protect consumers against identity theft. Also, as our business expands globally, we are subject to data privacy and other similar laws in various foreign jurisdictions. If we are the target of a cybersecurity attack resulting in unauthorized disclosure of our customer data, we may be required to undertake costly notification procedures. Compliance with these laws will likely increase the costs of doing business. If we fail to implement appropriate safeguards or to detect and provide prompt notice of unauthorized access as required by some of these laws, we could be subject to potential fines, claims for damages and other remedies, which could harm our business.

The disruptions in the global economic and financial markets during 2007 to 2009 adversely impacted the broader financial and credit markets, at times reducing the availability of debt and equity capital for the market as a whole. Conditions such as these could re-emerge in the future. Accordingly, our ability to access the capital markets could be restricted at a time when we would like, or need, to access those markets, which could have an adverse impact on our flexibility to react to changing economic and business conditions. The resulting lack of available credit, increased volatility in the financial markets and reduced business activity could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, our ability to take advantage of market opportunities and our ability to obtain and manage our liquidity. In addition, the cost of debt financing and the proceeds of equity financing may be materially and adversely impacted by these market conditions. The extent of any impact would depend on several factors, including our operating cash flows, the duration of tight credit conditions and volatile equity markets, our credit capacity, the cost of financing, and other general economic and business conditions. Our credit agreements contain performance covenants, such as a limit on the ratio of debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and limits on subsidiary debt and incurrence of liens. Although we believe none of these covenants is currently restrictive to our operations, our ability to meet the financial covenants can be affected by events beyond our control.

We rely on outside suppliers to provide on-time shipments of the various raw materials and component parts used in our manufacturing and assembly processes. The timeliness of these deliveries is critical to our ability to meet customer demand. Disruptions in this flow of delivery may have a negative impact on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

The costs of certain manufacturing materials used in our operations are sensitive to shifts in commodity market prices, including the impact of the U.S. and retaliatory tariffs previously noted. In particular, the costs of steel, plastic, aluminum components, and particleboard are sensitive to the market prices of commodities such as raw steel, aluminum, crude oil, lumber, and resins. Increases in the market prices of these commodities, such as what we experienced in fiscal 2019 for steel, may have an adverse impact on our profitability if we are unable to offset them with strategic sourcing, continuous improvement initiatives or increased prices to our customers.

Our ability to manage existing relationships within our network of independent dealers is crucial to our ongoing success. Although the loss of any single dealer would not have a material adverse effect on the overall business, our business within a given market could be negatively impacted by disruptions in our dealer network caused by the termination of commercial working relationships, ownership transitions, or dealer financial difficulties.

If dealers go out of business or restructure, we may suffer losses because they may not be able to pay for products already delivered to them. Also, dealers may experience financial difficulties, creating the need for outside financial support, which may not be easily obtained. In the past, we have, on occasion, agreed to provide direct financial assistance through term loans, lines of credit, and/or loan guarantees to certain dealers. Those activities increase our financial exposure.

The operations of our Retail segment are sensitive to a number of factors that influence consumer spending, including general economic conditions, consumer disposable income, unemployment, inclement weather, availability of consumer credit, consumer debt levels, conditions in the housing market, interest rates, sales tax rates and rate increases, inflation, and consumer confidence in future economic conditions. Adverse changes in these factors may reduce consumer demand for our products, resulting in reduced sales and profitability.

Approximately 45 percent of the sales within our Retail segment are transacted within our retail studios. Additionally, we believe our retail studios have a direct influence on the volume of business transacted through other channels, including our consumer e-commerce and direct-mail catalog platforms, as many customers utilize these physical spaces to view and experience products prior to placing an order online or through the catalog call center. Our ability to open additional studios or close existing studios successfully will depend upon a number of factors beyond our control, including:

The successful implementation of our business strategy depends on our ability to attract and retain a skilled workforce. The increasing competition for highly skilled and talented employees could result in higher compensation costs, difficulties in maintaining a capable workforce, and leadership succession planning challenges.

We incur various expenses related to product defects, including product warranty costs, product recall and retrofit costs, and product liability costs. These expenses relative to product sales vary and could increase. We maintain reserves for product defect-related costs based on estimates and our knowledge of circumstances that indicate the need for such reserves. We cannot, however, be certain that these reserves will be adequate to cover actual product defect-related claims in the future. Any significant increase in the rate of our product defect expenses could have a material adverse effect on operations.

We are self-insured for our health benefits and maintain per employee stop loss coverage; however, we retain the insurable risk at an aggregate level. Therefore unforeseen or catastrophic losses in excess of our insured limits could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results. See Note 1 of the Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding the Company’s retention level.

Government and other regulations apply to the manufacture and sale of many of our products. Failure to comply with these regulations or failure to obtain approval of products from certifying agencies could adversely affect the sales of these products and have a material negative impact on operating results.

We have a substantial amount of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, primarily trademarks, on our balance sheet. We test the goodwill and intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis and when events occur or circumstances change that indicate that the fair value of the reporting unit or intangible asset may be below its carrying amount. Fair value determinations require considerable judgment and are sensitive to inherent uncertainties and changes in estimates and assumptions regarding actual and forecasted revenue growth rates and operating margins and discount rates. Declines in market conditions, a trend of weaker than anticipated financial performance for our reporting units or declines in projected revenue for our trademarks, a decline in our share price for a sustained period of time, an increase in the market-based weighted average cost of capital or a decrease in royalty rates, among other factors, are indicators that the carrying value of our goodwill or indefinite-life intangible assets may not be recoverable. We may be required to record a goodwill or intangible asset impairment charge that, if incurred, could have a material adverse effect on our financial statements.

Our long-lived asset groups are subject to an impairment assessment when certain triggering events or circumstances indicate that their carrying value may be impaired. If the carrying value exceeds our estimate of future undiscounted cash flows of the operations related to the asset group, an impairment is recorded for the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the asset group. The results of these tests for potential impairment may be adversely affected by unfavorable market conditions, our financial performance trends, or an increase in interest rates, among other factors. If as a result of the impairment test we determine that the fair value of any of our long-lived asset groups is less than its carrying amount, we may incur an impairment charge that could have a material adverse effect on our financial statements.

None

The Company owns or leases facilities located throughout the United States and several foreign countries. The location, square footage and use of the most significant facilities at May 30, 2020 were as follows:

As of May 30, 2020, the Company operated 39 retail studios (including 35 operating under the DWR brand, 3 under the HAY brand, and a Herman Miller Flagship store in New York) that totaled approximately 400,000 square feet of selling space. The Company also maintains administrative and sales offices and showrooms in various other locations throughout North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific and Latin America. The Company considers its existing facilities to be in good condition and adequate for its design, production, distribution, and selling requirements.

The Company is involved in legal proceedings and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the outcome of such proceedings and litigation currently pending will not materially affect the Company’s consolidated operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Certain information relating to Executive Officers of the Company as of May 30, 2020 is as follows:

There are no family relationships between or among the above-named executive officers. There are no arrangements or understandings between any of the above-named officers pursuant to which any of them was named an officer.

Not applicable

Herman Miller, Inc.'s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ-Global Select Market System (Symbol: MLHR). As of July 22, 2020, there were approximately 26,000 shareholders of record, including individual participants in security position listings, of the Company's common stock.

Dividends were declared for the first three quarters of fiscal 2020 and all quarters of fiscal 2019 as approved by the Board of Directors. Herman Miller previously announced the deferral of its third quarter fiscal 2020 dividend payment to shareholders of record as of February 29, 2020. That dividend was originally scheduled to be paid on April 15, 2020. The Company's Board of Directors subsequently approved the payment of this dividend, which was made on July 15, 2020. The Company has suspended future dividend payments given the ongoing uncertainty caused by COVID–19.

The Company has one share repurchase plan authorized by the Board of Directors on January 16, 2019, which provides a share repurchase authorization of $250.0 million with no specified expiration date. The approximate dollar value of shares available for purchase under the plans at May 30, 2020 was $237.6 million.

The following is a summary of share repurchase activity during the Company's fourth fiscal quarter ended May 30, 2020:

  

During the period covered by this report, the Company did not sell any shares of common stock that were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933.

Set forth below is a line graph comparing the yearly percentage change in the cumulative total stockholder return on the Company's common stock with that of the cumulative total return of the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index and the NASDAQ Composite Total Return for the five-year period ended May 30, 2020. The graph assumes an investment of $100 on May 30, 2015 in the Company's common stock, the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index and the NASDAQ Composite Total Return, with dividends reinvested.

Information required by this item is also contained in Item 12 of this report.

You should read the issues discussed in Management's Discussion and Analysis in conjunction with the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements and the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Herman Miller’s mission statement is Inspiring Designs to Help People Do Great Things. At present, most customers come to the Company for furnishing interior environments in corporate offices, healthcare settings, higher education institutions and residential spaces. The Company's primary products include furniture systems, seating, storage, freestanding furniture, healthcare environment products, casegoods, textiles and related technologies and services.

More than 100 years of innovative business practices and a commitment to social responsibility have established Herman Miller as a recognized global company. The Company trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol MLHR.

Herman Miller's products are sold internationally through wholly-owned subsidiaries or branches in various countries including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Canada, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, India and Brazil. The Company's products are offered elsewhere in the world primarily through independent dealerships or joint ventures with customers in over 100 countries.

The Company is globally positioned in terms of manufacturing operations. In the United States, manufacturing operations are located in Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin and North Carolina. In Europe, its manufacturing presence is located in the United Kingdom. Manufacturing operations globally also include facilities located in China, Brazil and India. The Company manufactures products using a system of lean manufacturing techniques collectively referred to as the Herman Miller Performance System (HMPS). For its contract furniture business, Herman Miller strives to maintain efficiencies and cost savings by minimizing the amount of inventory on hand. Accordingly, production is order-driven with direct materials and components purchased as needed to meet demand. The standard manufacturing lead time for the majority of our products is 10 to 20 days. These factors result in a high rate of inventory turns related to our manufactured inventories.

A key element of the Company's manufacturing strategy is to limit fixed production costs by sourcing component parts from strategic suppliers. This strategy has allowed the Company to increase the variable nature of its cost structure, while retaining proprietary control over those production processes that the Company believes provide a competitive advantage. As a result of this strategy, the Company's manufacturing operations are largely assembly-based.

A key element of the Company's growth strategy is to scale the Retail business through the Company's Design Within Reach (DWR), HAY and Herman Miller retail operations. The Retail business provides a channel to bring Herman Miller's iconic and design-centric products to retail customers, along with other proprietary and third-party products, with a focus on design. The Company continues to transform its Retail business through the DWR retail studio footprint, which will be complemented by a continued focus on improving margins through the development of exclusive product designs and leveraging additional sales in DWR's contract, catalog and digital channels, as well as the HAY brand, which was launched in North America in fiscal 2019.

The Company is comprised of various operating segments as defined by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (U.S. GAAP). The operating segments are determined on the basis of how the Company internally reports and evaluates financial information used to make operating decisions. The Company has identified the following segments:

The Company also reports a corporate category consisting primarily of unallocated corporate expenses related to general corporate functions, including, but not limited to, certain legal, executive, corporate finance, information technology, administrative and acquisition-related costs.

The Company relies on the following core strengths in delivering solutions to customers:

The Company's products and services are offered to most of its customers under standard trade credit terms between 30 and 45 days. For all the items below, revenue is recognized when control transfers to the customer. The Company's products and services are sold through the following distribution channels:

Like all businesses, the Company is faced with a host of challenges and risks. The Company believes its core strengths and values, which provide the foundation for its strategic direction, have well prepared the Company to respond to the inevitable challenges it will face in the future. While the Company is confident in its direction, it acknowledges the risks specific to our business and industry. Refer to Item 1A for discussion of certain of these risk factors and Item 7A for disclosures of market risk.

Despite a number of risks and challenges, the Company believes it is well positioned to successfully pursue its mission of inspiring designs to help people do great things. As our business and industry continue to evolve, we are constantly focused on staying ahead of the curve. With the composition of the office floor plate moving toward a broader variety of furnishings, a greater desire for customization from our customers, new technologies, and trends towards urbanization and more seamless transactions in the retail world, we have centered our overall value creation strategy on four key priorities.

The Company believes its strategy continues to respond well to current and future realities in its markets. The Company's strategic priorities are aimed at creating a sustainable and diverse revenue model that puts the customer at the center of everything we do and leverages enabling digital capabilities to fully realize that vision.

The following is a summary of the significant events and items impacting the Company's operations for the year ended May 30, 2020:

The following summary includes the Company's view on the economic environment in which it operates:

(*) Non-GAAP measurements; see accompanying reconciliations and explanations.

The outbreak of COVID-19 adversely impacted our financial performance for fiscal 2020 and will have an adverse impact in fiscal 2021. This outbreak has impacted our supply base as well as resulted in temporary facility closures in locations throughout the globe beginning in February and continuing into the fourth quarter. The extent of the geographic spread and duration of this virus, the impact on our supply chain, demand for our products, and related financial impact cannot be estimated at this time with any degree of certainty.

The Company has instituted a number of safety measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, including domestic and international travel restrictions, work-from-home practices, extensive cleaning protocols, additional safety measures including temperature checks and face coverings, measures to promote physical (social) distancing in the workplace, and the temporary closure to the public of our showrooms and retail studios.

The Company's customer service, sales, supplier and dealer teams are working closely with customers to meet current demand. Sales teams are meeting with customers remotely via video calls, online chat functionality, and virtual reality to continue the design and specification process that would normally take place in a showroom. Customer service representatives are working remotely to stay connected to customers regarding order status and projected delivery dates. The Company recently opened some showroom and retail locations around the globe to the public. Customers can also make private appointments to shop in person or shop online with the Company's team virtually.

As a global manufacturer, the Company responded to various shelter-in-place and similar government orders in locations around the world in which it operates.

In Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order required all non-essential businesses to close during the three week period that ended April 13, 2020. However, as the Company serves the health care industry and the federal government, among other critical sectors, the Company continued to help support customers actively engaged in the COVID-19 response. In an effort to support the thousands of medical workers on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19, this work also included transforming a portion of its manufacturing footprint to fulfill the immediate need for medical related products and personal protective equipment. The Company continues to produce masks and face shields for its own employees and continues to donate to community members and nonprofits in need of personal protection equipment. This work is being completed at many of the Company's U.S. manufacturing locations.

Internationally, the status of the Company’s manufacturing and warehouse facilities vary based on government orders. While certain facilities were temporarily closed during a portion of the year, the majority of the Company’s manufacturing and warehouse locations are operating at full capacity, with some locations operating at reduced capacity with flexible hours and shifts to ensure employee safety.

The Company continues to monitor similar executive orders to understand the potential impact on its operations in other areas.

 

DWR and HAY retail studios and stores across the US are currently open to the public in various capacities with safety precautions in place. The Company’s distribution center in Batavia, Ohio has continued without disruption. Freight carriers are delivering to every market domestically but changing policies and procedures daily that may affect distribution. In some markets the Company is unable to offer white glove delivery currently, but can coordinate with customers to deliver product to their door. Its e-commerce platforms are fully operational.

The Company has implemented a range of actions aimed at temporarily reducing costs and preserving liquidity. These actions include reducing our salaried workforce by approximately 400 through voluntary and involuntary workforce reductions, a 10% reduction in cash compensation for the majority of the Company's salaried workforce and an additional 15% salary deferral of the Company's executive leadership team. Additionally the Company has temporarily suspended the quarterly dividend payout and certain employer-paid retirement contributions, compensation increases and cash incentive bonus programs. The Company will continue to evaluate further ways to manage costs in line with reduced revenue levels.

This report contains references to Organic net sales and Adjusted earnings per share - diluted, which are non-GAAP financial measures. Organic Growth (Decline) represents the change in Net sales, excluding currency translation effects and the impact of acquisitions. Adjusted Earnings per Share represents reported diluted earnings per share excluding the impact from adjustments related to the adoption of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, purchase accounting adjustments related to the HAY and naughtone investments, impairment charges, restructuring expenses and other

special charges or gains, including related taxes. Restructuring expenses include actions involving facilities consolidation and optimization, targeted workforce reductions and costs associated with an early retirement program. Special charges include costs related to CEO transition, third party consulting costs related to the Company's profit enhancement initiatives, acquisition-related costs and certain costs arising as a direct result of COVID-19.

The Company believes presenting Organic net sales and Adjusted earnings per share - diluted is useful for investors as it provides financial information on a more comparative basis for the periods presented by excluding items that are not representative of the ongoing operations of the Company.

Organic net sales and Adjusted earnings per share - diluted are not measurements of our financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to the related GAAP measurement. These non-GAAP measurements have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Our presentation of non-GAAP measures should not be construed as an indication that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or infrequent items. We compensate for these limitations by providing prominence of our GAAP results and using the non-GAAP financial measures only as a supplement.

The following table reconciles Net sales to Organic net sales for the periods ended as indicated below:

The following table reconciles EPS to Adjusted EPS for the years indicated:

The following is a comparison of our annual results of operations and year-over-year percentage changes for the periods indicated:

The following table presents, for the periods indicated, the components of the Company's Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income as a percentage of net sales:

The following chart presents graphically the primary drivers of the year-over-year change in Net sales. The amounts presented in the bar graph are expressed in millions and have been rounded.

Net sales decreased $80.6 million or 3.1% compared to the prior year fiscal period. The following items contributed to the change:

The following chart presents graphically the primary drivers of the year-over-year change in Operating expenses. The amounts presented in the bar graph are expressed in millions and have been rounded.

Operating expenses increased by $222.7 million or 30.7% compared to the prior year fiscal period. The following factors contributed to the change:

Other income/expense in the current year reflected a pre-tax gain of $36.2 million related to the purchase accounting treatment of initial equity-method investments in naughtone and HAY. The Company became the majority owner of both naughtone and HAY in the current year and as a result was required to record certain fair value adjustments which resulted in a non-taxable gain.

Net other expenses for fiscal 2020 of $11.2 million increased compared to fiscal 2019 primarily as a result of a $2.1 million fair value adjustment gain in fiscal 2019.

See Note 11 of the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

The business is comprised of various operating segments as defined by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. These operating segments are determined on the basis of how the Company internally reports and evaluates financial information used to make operating decisions. The segments identified by the Company include North America Contract, International Contract, Retail and Corporate. For descriptions of each segment, refer to Note 14 of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

The charts below present the relative mix of Net sales and Operating earnings across each of the Company's segments. This is followed by a discussion of the Company's results, by segment.

Operating earnings decreased $39.6 million, or 68.5%, compared to the prior year due to:

Operating earnings decreased $153.6 million over the prior year due to:

Corporate unallocated expenses totaled $39.2 million for fiscal 2020, a decrease of $10.1 million from fiscal 2019. The decrease was driven primarily by lower special charges related to third-party consulting costs for the Company's profit optimization initiatives, as well as transition costs incurred in the prior year related to the retirement of the Company's previous CEO.

(*) Non-GAAP measurements; see accompanying reconciliations and explanations.

The table below summarizes the net change in cash and cash equivalents for the fiscal years indicated.

Cash provided by operating activities in fiscal 2020 was comparable to the prior year and included non-cash impacts of impairment charges, restructuring expense and the gain on the consolidation of equity method investments.

Cash used in investing activities in fiscal 2020 totaled $168.1 million compared to $165.0 million in the prior year. The increase in cash outflow in the current year, compared to the prior year, was primarily due to:

At the end of the fiscal 2020, there were outstanding commitments for capital purchases of $39.8 million. The Company plans to fund these commitments with cash on hand and/or cash generated from operations. The Company expects capital spending in fiscal 2021 to be between $50 million and $60 million, which will be primarily related to investments in the Company's facilities and equipment.

Cash provided by financing activities was $244.0 million in fiscal 2020 as compared to cash used in financing activities of $91.9 million in fiscal 2019. The items below represent the major factors driving the year-over-year increase in cash flow provided by financing activities:

In addition to steps taken to protect its workforce and manage business operations, the Company has taken actions to safeguard its capital position in the current environment. The Company is closely managing spending levels, capital investments, and working capital, and has temporarily suspended share repurchase activity as part of managing cash flows. In addition, the Company's Board of Directors has temporarily suspended all future dividends. For more information on current cost reductions, refer to the COVID-19 Update section within Item 2: Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

At the end of fiscal 2020, the Company had a well-positioned balance sheet and liquidity profile. In addition to cash flows from operating activities, the Company has access to liquidity through credit facilities, cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments. These sources have been summarized below. For additional information, refer to Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Of the cash and cash equivalents noted above at the end of fiscal 2020, the Company had $106.8 million of cash and cash equivalents held outside the United States. In addition, the Company had marketable securities of $7.0 million held by one of its international wholly-owned subsidiaries.

The Company’s syndicated revolving line of credit, which expires on August 28, 2024, provides the Company with up to $500 million in revolving variable interest borrowing capacity and includes an "accordion feature" allowing the Company to increase, at its option and subject to the approval of the participating banks, the aggregate borrowing capacity of the facility by up to $250 million. Outstanding borrowings bear interest at rates based on the prime rate, federal funds rate, LIBOR or negotiated rates as outlined in the agreement. Interest is payable periodically throughout the period if borrowings are outstanding.

As of May 30, 2020, the total debt outstanding related to borrowings under the syndicated revolving line of credit was $490.0 million with available borrowings against this facility of $0.6 million. Subsequent to the end of the fiscal 2020, the Company repaid borrowings of $265 million under the syndicated revolving line of credit.

The subsidiary holding the Company's marketable securities is taxed as a United States taxpayer at the Company's election. Consequently, for tax purposes, all United States tax impacts for this subsidiary have been recorded. The Company intends to repatriate $29 million in cash held in certain foreign jurisdictions and as such has recorded a deferred tax liability related to foreign withholding taxes on these future dividends received in the U.S. from foreign subsidiaries of $1.8 million. A significant portion of this cash was previously taxed under the U.S. Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA) one-time U.S. tax liability on undistributed foreign earnings. The Company intends to remain indefinitely reinvested in the remaining undistributed earnings outside the U.S.

The Company believes that its financial resources will allow it to manage the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business operations for the foreseeable future which could include materially reduced revenue and profits for the Company. The Company will continue to evaluate its financial position in light of future developments, particularly those relating to COVID-19.

The Company is involved in legal proceedings and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the outcome of such proceedings and litigation currently pending will not materially affect the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements. Refer to Note 13 of the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information relating to contingencies.

The Company's fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to May 31. The fiscal years ended May 30, 2020, June 1, 2019 and June 2, 2018 contained 52 weeks.

Our goal is to report financial results clearly and understandably. We follow accounting principles generally accepted in the United States in preparing our Consolidated Financial Statements, which require us to make certain estimates and apply judgments that affect our financial position and results of operations. We continually review our accounting policies and financial information disclosures. These policies and disclosures are reviewed at least annually with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. Following is a summary of our more significant accounting policies that require the use of estimates and judgments in preparing the financial statements.

We allocate the fair value of purchase consideration to tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values. The excess of the fair value of purchase consideration over the fair values of these identifiable assets and liabilities is allocated to goodwill. The allocation of the purchase consideration requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions, especially with respect to intangible assets. These estimates are reviewed with our advisors and can include, but are not limited to, future expected cash flows related to acquired customer relationships, trademarks and know-how/designs and require estimation of discount rates and royalty rates. Our estimates of fair value are based upon reasonable assumptions but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable, and as a result, actual results may differ from these estimates. During the measurement period, which is up to one year from the acquisition date, we may record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed with the corresponding offset to goodwill. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to earnings. During 2020, management considered the acquisition of HAY a material acquisition. There were no other material acquisitions. See Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

Further declines in the Company’s operating results due to challenging economic conditions, an unfavorable industry or macroeconomic development or other adverse changes in market conditions could change one of the key assumptions the Company uses to calculate the fair value of its long-lived assets, goodwill and indefinite-lived trade names, which could result in a further decline in fair value and require the Company to record an additional impairment charge in future periods.

Generally, changes in estimates of expected future cash flows would have a similar effect on the estimated fair value of the reporting unit. For example, a 1.0% decrease in estimated annual future cash flows would decrease the estimated fair value of the reporting unit by approximately 1.0%. The estimated long-term growth rate can have a significant impact on the estimated future cash flows, and therefore, the fair value of each reporting unit. Of the other key assumptions that impact the estimated fair values, most reporting units have the greatest sensitivity to changes in the estimated discount rate. In completing the annual goodwill impairment test, the respective fair values were estimated using discount rates ranging from 10.25% to 14.0% and long-term growth rates ranging from 2.5% to 3.0%.

The Company evaluated the sensitivity of changes in projected growth rate, discount rates and long-term growth rates for the reporting units with goodwill remaining as of May 30, 2020. Reducing the International Contract reporting unit's projected revenue rate by 5% in all years, and leaving all other assumptions static, would decrease its cushion to approximately 14%. Additionally if the Company combined a 100 basis point increase in discount rate and a 100 basis point decline in the long-term growth rate, leaving all other assumptions static, it would not result in an impairment charge in either the North America Contract or International reporting units.

If the estimated cash flows related to the Company's International Contract segment were to decline in future periods, the Company may need to record an impairment charge.

In completing our annual indefinite-lived trade name impairment test, the respective fair values were estimated using discount rates ranging from 12.75% to 17.25%, royalty rates ranging from 1.00% to 3.00% and long-term growth rates ranging from 2.5% to 3.0%. The Company’s estimates of the fair value of its indefinite-lived intangible assets are sensitive to changes in the key assumptions above as well as projected financial performance. Therefore, a sensitivity analysis was performed on certain key assumptions.

If the estimated cash flows related to the Company's indefinite-lived intangibles were to decline in future periods, the Company may need to record an impairment charge.

Refer to Note 1 of the Consolidated Financial Statements for information related to new accounting standards.

This information contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended, that are based on management’s beliefs, assumptions, current expectations, estimates, and projections about the office furniture industry, the economy, and the Company itself. Words like “anticipates,” “believes,” “confident,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” "likely,” “plans,” “projects,” and “should,” variations of such words, and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. These statements do not guarantee future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extent, likelihood, and degree of occurrence. These risks include, without limitation, the success of our growth strategy, our success in initiatives aimed at achieving long-term profit optimization goals, employment and general economic conditions, the pace of economic recovery in the U.S. and in our International markets, the increase in white-collar employment, the willingness of customers to undertake capital expenditures, the types of products purchased by customers, competitive-pricing pressures, the availability and pricing of raw materials, our reliance on a limited number of suppliers, our ability to expand globally given the risks associated with regulatory and legal compliance challenges and accompanying currency fluctuations, changes in future tax legislation or interpretation of current tax legislation, the ability to increase prices to absorb the additional costs of raw materials, changes in global tariff regulations, the financial strength of our dealers and the financial strength of our customers, our ability to locate new studios, negotiate favorable lease terms for new and existing locations and implement our studio portfolio transformation, our ability to attract and retain key executives and other qualified employees, our ability to continue to make product innovations, the success of newly-introduced products, our ability to serve all of our markets, possible acquisitions, divestitures or alliances, our ability to integrate and benefit from acquisitions and investments, the pace and level of government procurement, the outcome of pending litigation or governmental audits or investigations, political risk in the markets we serve, natural disasters, public health crises, disease outbreaks, and other risks identified in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Therefore, actual results and outcomes may materially differ from what we express or forecast. Furthermore, Herman Miller, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update, amend or clarify forward-looking statements.

The Company manufactures, markets, and sells its products throughout the world and, as a result, is subject to changing economic conditions, which could reduce the demand for its products.

The Company is exposed to risks arising from price changes for certain direct materials and assembly components used in its operations. The largest of such costs incurred by the Company are for steel, plastics, textiles, wood particleboard and aluminum components. The impact from changes in all commodity prices lowered the Company's costs by approximately $4 million during fiscal 2020 compared to the prior year. The impact from changes in commodity prices increased the Company's costs by approximately $16 million during fiscal 2019 as compared to fiscal 2018. Note that these changes include the impact of Chinese tariffs on the Company's direct material costs.

The market prices for commodities will fluctuate over time and the Company acknowledges that such changes are likely to impact its costs for key direct materials and assembly components. Consequently, it views the prospect of such changes as an outlook risk to the business.

In the normal course of business, the Company enters into contracts denominated in foreign currencies. The principal foreign currencies in which the Company conducts its business are the British pound sterling, euro, Canadian dollar, Japanese yen, Mexican peso, Hong Kong dollar and Chinese renminbi. As of May 30, 2020, the Company had outstanding twenty forward currency instruments designed to offset either net asset or net liability exposure that is denominated in non-functional currencies.

As of June 1, 2019, the Company had outstanding, fourteen forward currency instruments designed to offset either net asset or net liability exposure that is denominated in non-functional currencies.

The cost of the foreign currency hedges and remeasuring all foreign currency transactions into the appropriate functional currency resulted in a net loss of $1.1 million in fiscal 2020 in contrast to net gain of $0.3 million in fiscal 2019 included in net earnings. These amounts are included in “Other expense (income), net” in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Additionally, the cumulative effect of translating the balance sheet and income statement accounts from the functional currency into the United States dollar decreased the accumulated comprehensive loss component of total stockholders' equity by $7.7 million and $14.2 million as of the end of fiscal 2020 and 2019, respectively.

The Company enters into interest rate swap agreements to manage its exposure to interest rate changes and its overall cost of borrowing. The Company's interest rate swap agreement was entered into to exchange variable rate interest payments for fixed rate payments over the life of the agreement without the exchange of the underlying notional amounts. The notional amount of the interest rate swap agreements is used to measure interest to be paid or received and does not represent the amount of exposure to credit loss. The differential paid or received on the interest rate swap agreements is recognized as an adjustment to interest expense.

In September 2016, the Company entered into an interest rate swap agreement. The interest rate swap is for an aggregate notional amount of $150.0 million with a forward start date of January 3, 2018 and a termination date of January 3, 2028. As a result of the transaction, the Company effectively converted indebtedness anticipated to be borrowed on the Company’s revolving line of credit up to the notional amount from a LIBOR-based floating interest rate plus applicable margin to a 1.949 percent fixed interest rate plus applicable margin under the agreement as of the forward start date.

In June 2017, the Company entered into an interest rate swap agreement. The interest rate swap is for an aggregate notional amount of $75.0 million with a forward start date of January 3, 2018 and a termination date of January 3, 2028. As a result of the transaction, the Company effectively converted the Company’s revolving line of credit up to the notional amount from a LIBOR-based floating interest rate plus applicable margin to a 2.387 percent fixed interest rate plus applicable margin under the agreement as of the forward start date.