KWR Quaker Chemical Corp - 10-K

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

There are many factors that may affect our business and results of operations, including the following risks relating to: (1) the demand for our products and services and our ability to grow our customer base; (2) our business operations, including internal and external factors that may impact our operational continuity; (3) our international operations; (4) our supply chain; (5) domestic and foreign taxation and government regulation and oversight; and (6) more general risk factors that may impact our business.

Risks Related to the Demand for our Products and Services and our Customer Base

Changes to the industries and markets that we serve could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

As the leader in industrial process fluids, we are subject to the same business cycles as those experienced by our customers that participate in the steel, automotive, industrial equipment, aerospace, aluminum and durable goods industries. Because demand for our products and services is largely derived from the global demand for our customers’ products, we are subject to uncertainties related to downturns in our customers’ businesses and shutdowns or curtailments of our customers’ production, including as a result of adverse changes affecting national, regional and global economies or increased competitive pressure within our customers’ industries. Our customers may experience deterioration of their businesses, cash flow shortages and difficulty obtaining financing, leading them to delay or cancel plans to purchase products, and they may not be able to pay our bills or fulfill their other obligations in a timely fashion. We have limited ability to adjust our costs contemporaneously with changes in sales; thus, a significant sudden downturn in sales or increased credit losses due to reductions in global production within the industries we serve and/or weak end-user markets could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations. Further, our suppliers and other business partners may experience similar conditions, which could impact their ability to fulfill their obligations to us and also result in material adverse effects on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

Changes in competition in the industries and markets we serve could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

The specialty chemical industry is highly competitive and there are many companies with significant financial resources and/or customer relationships that compete with us to provide similar products and services. Some competitors may be able to offer more favorable or flexible pricing and service terms or may be better able to adapt to changes in conditions in our industries, fluctuations in the costs of raw materials or to changes in global economic conditions, potentially resulting in reduced profitability and/or a loss of market share for us. The pricing decisions of our competitors could affect demand for our offerings, and could lead us to decrease our prices, which could negatively affect our margins and profitability. In addition, our competitors could potentially consolidate their businesses and gain scale or better position their product offerings, which could have a negative impact on our profitability and market share. Competition in our industry historically has also been based on the ability to provide products that meet the needs of the customer and render technical services and laboratory assistance, which our competitors may be able to accomplish more effectively or efficiently than we can. If we are unsuccessful with differentiating ourselves, it could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations and we could lose market share to our competitors.

Loss of a significant customer, bankruptcy of a major customer, or the closure of or significant reduction in production at a customer site could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

During 2025, our top five largest customers (each composed of multiple subsidiaries or divisions with semi-autonomous purchasing authority) together accounted for approximately 11% of our consolidated net sales, with the largest customer accounting for approximately 3% of our consolidated net sales. The loss of a significant customer could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations. Also, a significant portion of our revenues is derived from sales to customers in the cyclical steel, aerospace, aluminum and automotive industries, where bankruptcies have occurred in the past and where companies have periodically experienced financial difficulties. If a significant customer or group of customers in the same industry experiences financial difficulties or files for bankruptcy protection, we may be unable to collect on our receivables, customer manufacturing sites may be closed, or our contracts may be voided, which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and result of operations. The bankruptcy of a major customer could therefore have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations. Also, some of our customers, primarily in the steel, aluminum and aerospace industries, often have fewer manufacturing locations compared to other metalworking customers and generally use higher volumes of products at a single location. The loss, closure, or significant reduction in production at one or more of these locations or other major sites of a significant customer could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We may not be able to timely develop, manufacture and gain market acceptance of new and enhanced products required to maintain or expand our business, which could adversely affect our competitive position and our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

We believe that our continued success depends on our ability to continuously develop and manufacture new products and product enhancements on a timely and cost-effective basis in response to customer demands for higher performance process chemicals and other product offerings. Our competitors may develop new products or enhancements to their products that offer better performance, features that render our products less competitive or obsolete, or lower prices, any of which may cause us to lose business and/or significant market share. The development and commercialization of new products require significant expenditures over an extended period of time, and some products that we seek to develop may fail to gain traction or never become profitable. In any event, ongoing investments in research and development for the future do not yield an immediate beneficial impact on our operating results and therefore could result in higher costs without a proportional increase in revenues.

In addition, our customers use our specialty chemicals for a broad range of applications. Changes in our customers’ products or processes or changes in regulatory, legislative or industry requirements may lead our customers to reduce consumption of the specialty chemicals that we produce or make them unnecessary or less attractive. Customers may also adopt alternative materials or processes that do not require our products. Examples of such evolving customer demands and industry trends are the movement towards lighter-weight materials and the growing prevalence of electric vehicles. Should a customer decide to use a different material or technology due to price, performance or other considerations, we may not be able to supply a product that meets the customer’s new requirements. Consequently, it is important that we develop new products to replace the products that mature and decline in use. Despite our efforts, we may not be able to develop and introduce products incorporating new technologies in a timely manner that will satisfy our customers’ future needs or achieve market acceptance. Moreover, new products may have lower margins than the products they replace. Our business, results of operations, cash flows and margins could be materially adversely affected if we are unable to successfully manage the maturation or obsolescence of our existing products and the introduction of new products successfully.

Risks Related to Business Operations, Including Internal and External Factors that May Impact Our Operational Continuity

Our ability to successfully implement our business strategy requires that we effectively and efficiently execute and integrate the acquisitions we identify as strategic as well as successfully divest those operations that are no longer important to that strategy. If we are unsuccessful, we may be unable to achieve our strategic objectives and could also be subject to unanticipated integration costs and claims for indemnification from the buyers of businesses we may divest, all of which could adversely impact our liquidity, financial position and results of operation.

Our business strategy includes making acquisitions and other investments that complement our existing businesses, and based on an evaluation of our business portfolio, sometimes divesting existing businesses that are not important to our strategy. We continually analyze and evaluate acquisition opportunities with the potential to strengthen our industry position, enhance our existing product offerings or deepen our relationships with our customers. We may not successfully identify suitable acquisition candidates or have sufficient financing and/or cash available to successfully complete acquisitions we identify, especially in a competitive sales process.

In addition, strategic acquisitions present operational, financial, and managerial challenges to integration, including diversion of management attention from existing businesses, difficulty with integrating or separating personnel and financial and other systems, increased expenses and raw material costs, assumption of unknown liabilities and indemnities that may not be discovered before an acquisition or fully reflected in the price we pay, and potential disputes with the sellers. If we are unable to consummate such transactions, or successfully integrate and grow completed acquisitions and achieve contemplated revenue synergies and cost savings, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

We may also need to finance future acquisitions, and the terms of any financing, and the need to ultimately repay or refinance any indebtedness, may have negative effects on us. Acquisitions also could have a dilutive effect on our financial results. Acquisitions also generally result in goodwill, which would need to be written off against earnings in the future if it becomes impaired. Acquisitions and investments may involve significant cash expenditures, debt incurrences, equity issuances, operating losses, and expenses.

Further, the success of any acquisition we complete depends on our ability to navigate risks such as those listed above and successfully integrate acquisitions, including, but not limited to, our ability to:

• develop or modify financial reporting, information systems, and other related financial tools to ensure overall financial integrity and adequacy of internal control procedures;

• identify and capitalize on potential synergies, including cost reduction opportunities;

• adequately address challenges arising from the increased scope, geographic diversity and complexity of our operations; and

• further penetrate existing, and expand into new, markets with the products and capabilities acquired in acquisitions.

If we fail to successfully integrate acquisitions into our existing business, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. We may fail to obtain the benefits we anticipate from our recently completed or future acquisitions or joint ventures and we may not create the appropriate infrastructure to support the additional growth from organic or acquired businesses, which could also have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

Divestitures have inherent risks, including the possibility that we may not be able to achieve the proceeds we desire from a sale, potential post-closing liabilities and claims for indemnification, that may impact our ability to fully realize the anticipated benefit. In particular, in connection with the sale of certain properties and businesses, we agreed to indemnify the purchasers for certain types of matters, including certain breaches of representations and warranties, taxes and certain environmental matters. With respect to environmental matters, the discovery of contamination arising from properties that we have divested may expose us to indemnity obligations under the sale agreements with the buyers of such properties or cleanup obligations and other damages under applicable environmental laws, even if we were not aware of the contamination. We may not have insurance coverage for such indemnity obligations. Further, we cannot predict the nature or amount of any indemnity or other obligations we may have to pay. These payments may be costly and may adversely affect our financial position and results of operations. If these or other post-closing risks materialize, the benefits of any divestiture may not be fully realized, if at all, and our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be negatively impacted.

Gulf and its wholly-owned subsidiary, QH Hungary Holdings Limited, have a significant minority stake in the Company and the contractual ability to nominate certain directors of the Company, which may enable them to influence the direction of our business and significant corporate decisions.

Gulf and its wholly-owned subsidiary, QH Hungary Holdings Limited (together, the “Gulf Affiliates”), remain our largest shareholders. If they were to make available for sale a portion of their shares, that portion could represent a significant amount of common stock of the Company being sold and any such transaction (if it were to occur) could have an adverse impact on the Company’s stock price or otherwise cause price volatility.

In addition, under our shareholders agreement with the Gulf Affiliates, they currently have the right to designate three individuals for election to the Board and this right, together with their share ownership, gives them substantial influence over our business, including over matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders, including the election of directors, amendment of our organizational documents, acquisitions or other business combinations involving the Company, and potentially the ability to prevent extraordinary transactions such as a takeover attempt or business combination. The concentration of ownership of our shares held by the Gulf Affiliates may make some future actions more difficult without their support. The Gulf Affiliates, however, among other provisions in the shareholders agreement, have agreed that for so long as any of their designees are on the Board, and for six months thereafter, they will vote all Quaker Houghton shares consistent with the recommendations of the Board for each director nominee as reflected in each proxy statement of the Company, including in support of any Quaker Houghton directors nominated for election or re-election to the Board (except as would conflict with their rights to designees on the Board). Nevertheless, the interests of Gulf may conflict with our interests or the interests of our other shareholders, though we are not currently aware of any such conflicts.

The timing and amount of the Company’s share repurchases are subject to a number of uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that we will continue to repurchase shares of our common stock.

On February 28, 2024, the Board approved a new share repurchase program (“2024 Share Repurchase Program”), authorizing the Company to repurchase up to an aggregate of $150 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock. The 2024 Share Repurchase Program replaced an earlier program, was effective immediately and has no expiration date. Under the 2024 Share Repurchase Program, the Company is authorized to repurchase shares through open market purchases, privately-negotiated transactions, accelerated share repurchases or otherwise in accordance with applicable federal securities laws, including Rule 10b5-1 and Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company continues to utilize trading plans for the repurchase of shares pursuant to the 2024 Share Repurchase Program, which permit the Company to purchase shares, at predetermined price targets, when it may otherwise be precluded from doing so. The 2024 Share Repurchase Program does not obligate us to acquire any particular amount of common stock, and it may be terminated at any time at the Company’s discretion. The specific timing and amount of repurchases will vary based on available capital resources and other financial and operational performance, prevailing prices, market conditions, securities law limitations, and other factors. Important factors that could cause the Company to limit, suspend or delay its share repurchases include unfavorable trading market conditions, the price of the Company’s common stock, the nature of other investment opportunities presented to us from time to time, the ability to obtain financing at attractive rates and the availability of U.S. cash, none of which we can predict.

Repurchase activities could affect the price of our common stock and increase its volatility. The existence of the 2024 Share Repurchase Program could also cause the price of our common stock to be higher than it would be in the absence of such a program and could potentially reduce the market liquidity for our common stock. There can be no assurance that any stock repurchases will enhance stockholder value because the market price of our common stock could decline below the levels at which we repurchased such shares, as we experienced in 2024. Any failure to repurchase shares after we have announced our intention to do so could negatively impact our reputation and investor confidence in us and could negatively impact our stock price. Although the 2024 Share Repurchase Program is intended to enhance long-term shareholder value, short-term stock price fluctuations could reduce the program’s effectiveness.

Failure to comply with any material provision of our principal credit facility or other debt agreements could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

Our principal credit facility requires the Company to comply with certain provisions and covenants and while we do not currently consider these provisions and covenants to be overly restrictive, they could become more difficult to comply with as our business or financial conditions change. We are also subject to interest rate risk due to the variable interest rates within the credit facility and if interest rates rise, interest costs would increase as well.

Our principal credit facility contains provisions that are customary for facilities of its type, including affirmative and negative covenants, financial covenants and events of default, including restrictions on (a) the incurrence of additional indebtedness, (b) investments in and acquisitions of other businesses, lines of business and divisions, (c) the making of dividends or capital stock purchases and (d) dispositions of assets. Other financial covenants contained in our principal credit facility include a consolidated interest coverage test and a consolidated net leverage test. Customary events of default in the credit facility include, among others, defaults for non-payment, breach of representations and warranties, non-performance of covenants, cross-defaults, insolvency, and a change of control of the Company in certain circumstances. If we are unable to comply with the financial and other provisions of our principal credit facility, we could become in default. The occurrence of an event of default under the credit facility could result in all loans and other obligations becoming immediately due and payable and the facility being terminated. In addition, deterioration in the Company’s results of operations or financial position could significantly increase borrowing costs.

Our variable-rate indebtedness subjects us to interest rate risk, which could cause our debt service obligations to increase significantly or result in an inability to obtain sufficient financing on favorable terms. Additionally, rising interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

We carry, and expect to continue to carry for the foreseeable future, a substantial amount of debt and other fixed obligations. Our ability to satisfy these obligations, finance acquisitions, repurchase shares, and pay dividends rely on our access to capital, which depends in large part on cash flow generated by our business and the availability of debt financing. The Company’s principal credit facility permits interest on certain variable-rate borrowings to be calculated based on the Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“Term SOFR”), which exposes us to interest rate risk. See Note 19, Debt , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

Interest rate increases, which we have experienced in the past and may experience again in the future, increase our debt service obligations on the variable-rate indebtedness even though the amount borrowed remains the same, which requires us to use more of our available cash to service our indebtedness. In order to manage the Company’s exposure to variable interest rate risk associated with the Company’s principal credit facility, in the first quarter of 2023, the Company entered into three-year interest rate swaps to convert a portion of the Company’s variable interest rate borrowings to an average fixed rate plus an applicable margin as provided in the Company’s principal credit facility, based on the Company’s consolidated net leverage ratio. These swaps only cover a portion of our variable rate indebtedness. See Note 24, Hedging Activities , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

Rising interest rates not only increase our cost of capital but could also have a dampening effect on overall economic activity and the financial condition of the Company’s customers, either or both of which could negatively affect customer demand for the Company's products and customers’ ability to repay their obligations. Rising interest rates could also cause credit market dislocations, which could have an impact on the Company’s and its customers’ cost of capital.

Risks Related to our International Operations

Our global presence subjects us to political and economic risks that could adversely affect our business, liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

A significant portion of our revenues and earnings are generated by our non-U.S. operations. Our success as a global business depends, in part, upon our ability to succeed across different legal, regulatory, economic, social and political conditions by developing, implementing and maintaining policies and strategies that are effective in all of the locations where we do business. Risks inherent in our global operations include:

• trade protection measures including import and export controls, trade embargoes, and trade sanctions affecting countries or regions we serve, which could result in our losing access to customers and suppliers in those countries or regions;

• unexpected adverse changes in export duties, quotas and tariffs and difficulties in obtaining export licenses;

• termination or substantial modification of international trade agreements that may adversely affect our access to raw materials and to markets for our products;

• our agreements with counterparties in countries outside the U.S. may be difficult for us to enforce and related receivables may take longer or be difficult for us to collect;

• less protective foreign intellectual property laws, and more generally, legal systems that may be less developed and predictable than those in the U.S.;

• limitations on ownership or participation in local enterprises as well as the potential for expropriation or nationalization of enterprises;

• instability in or adverse changes to the economic, political, social, legal or regulatory conditions in a country or region where we do business, as a result of political activity, armed conflict and/or terrorist activities such as those that are being experienced in multiple areas around the world; and

• complex and dynamic local tax regulations, including changes in foreign laws and tax rates or U.S. laws and tax rates with respect to foreign income that may unexpectedly increase the rate at which our income is taxed, impose new and additional taxes on remittances, repatriation or other payments by subsidiaries, or cause the loss of previously recorded tax benefits.

The current global geopolitical and trade environment creates the potential for increased escalation of domestic and international tariffs and retaliatory trade policies, including the possibility of a “trade war” involving the United States and one or more of its trading partners. Recent government actions, including tariffs and trade policies, have impacted the global economy, disrupted global supply chains, created significant uncertainty and volatility in financial markets, and increased the risk of recession and elevated unemployment levels; these conditions could continue or worsen. Changes in U.S. trade policy and retaliatory actions by U.S. trade partners could also result in weakening economic conditions. If new tariffs are imposed or current tariffs are increased, materials and goods that U.S. companies import and export may face higher prices, and this could lead to significant shortages or price increases in our raw materials, decreased international sales, reduced margins or increased prices. Changes in U.S. trade policy and retaliatory actions by U.S. trade partners could also result in weakening economic conditions. If we are unable to successfully manage these and other risks associated with our international businesses, the risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The scope of our international operations subjects us to risks from currency fluctuations that could adversely affect our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

Our non-U.S. operations generate significant revenues and earnings. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, including hyperinflationary conditions, may affect product demand and may adversely affect the profitability in U.S. dollars of the products and services we provide in international markets where payment for our products and services is made in the local currency. Our financial results are affected by currency fluctuations, particularly between the U.S. dollar and the Euro, the British pound sterling, the Brazilian real, the Mexican peso, the Chinese renminbi and the Indian rupee. During the past three years, sales by our non-U.S. subsidiaries accounted for approximately 63% to 67% of our consolidated net sales. We generally do not use financial instruments that expose us to significant risk involving foreign currency transactions; however, the relative size of our non-U.S. activities has a significant impact on reported operating results and our net assets. Therefore, as exchange rates change, our results can be materially affected. See the foreign exchange risk information contained in Item 7A of this Report and the geographic information in Note 4, Business Segments , to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.

Also, we occasionally source inventory in a different country than that of the intended sale. This practice can give rise to foreign exchange risk. We seek to mitigate this risk through local sourcing of raw materials in the majority of our locations.

Changes in domestic and foreign trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs, and other factors beyond our control may adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The U.S. government recently implemented changes to its trade policies, including significant tariff increases on imports and potential changes to existing trade agreements, creating a dynamic and uncertain trade environment. Such measures can be adopted with little or no notice, and retaliatory actions by other countries may further increase costs and disrupt global supply chains. Higher tariffs or trade restrictions may raise the cost of inventory and products sold by our customers, vendors, partners, and suppliers, reducing demand, compressing margins, and impairing their financial performance and ability to meet obligations. This, in turn, could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations. Tariffs or other trade restrictions may lead to continuing uncertainty and volatility in U.S. and global financial markets, which may lead to adverse changes in the availability, terms and cost of capital, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Risks Relating to Our Supply Chain

We rely on a wide variety of raw materials, and our business depends on our ability to source them cost-effectively.

Approximately 3,000 raw materials, including animal fats, vegetable oils, mineral oils, oleochemicals, ethylene, solvents, surfactant agents, and various chemical compounds that act as additives to our base formulations, and a wide variety of other organic and inorganic compounds and various derivatives of the foregoing. The price of mineral oil and its derivatives can be affected by the price of crude oil and industry refining capacity. Animal fat and vegetable oil prices, as well as the prices of other raw materials, are impacted by their own unique supply and demand factors, and by biodiesel consumption, which in turn can be affected by the price of crude oil and by government incentives for low-carbon fuels. Accordingly, significant fluctuations in the price of crude oil can have a material impact on the cost of these raw materials. In addition, many of the raw materials used by Quaker Houghton are commodity chemicals which can experience significant price volatility.

We generally attempt to pass through changes in the prices of raw materials to our customers, but we may be unable to do so (or may be delayed in doing so). In addition, raising prices we charge to our customers in order to offset increases in the prices we pay for raw materials could cause us to suffer a loss of sales volumes. Although we have been successful in recovering a substantial amount of raw material cost increases while retaining our customers, there can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to offset higher raw material costs or retain customers in the future. A significant change in margin or the loss of customers due to pricing actions could result in a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations as described within Item 7 of this Report.

Lack of availability of raw materials and issues associated with sourcing from single suppliers and suppliers in volatile economic environments could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

The specialty chemical industry periodically experiences supply shortages for certain raw materials. In addition, we source some materials from a single supplier or from suppliers in jurisdictions that have experienced political or economic instability. Even where we have multiple suppliers of a particular raw material, there are occasionally shortages. Any significant disruption in supply, such as was experienced several years ago, could affect our ability to obtain raw materials or satisfactory substitutes or could increase the cost of such raw materials or substitutes, which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations. In addition, certain raw materials that we use are subject to regulation, and a change in our ability to legally use such raw materials may impact the products or services we are able to offer which could negatively affect our ability to compete and could adversely affect our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

Loss of a significant manufacturing facility or disruptions within our supply chain or in transportation could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

Our manufacturing facilities are located throughout the world. While we have some redundant capabilities, if one of our facilities is forced to shut down or curtail operations because of damage or other unforeseen factors, including natural disasters, labor difficulties or public health crises, we may not be able to timely supply our customers. This could result in a loss of sales over an extended period or permanently. While we seek to mitigate this risk through business continuity and contingency planning and other measures, the loss of production in any one region over an extended period of time could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations. Any losses due to these events may not be covered by our existing insurance policies or may be subject to significant deductibles.

We could be similarly adversely affected by disruptions to our supply chain and transportation network. The Company relies heavily on railroads, ships, and over-the-road shipping methods to transport raw materials to its manufacturing facilities and to transport finished products to customers. The costs of transporting our products could be negatively affected by factors outside of our control, including shipping container shortages or global imbalances in shipping capabilities, port strikes or other labor disruptions, transportation disruptions or rate increases, increased border controls or closures, extreme weather events, tariffs, rising fuel costs, armed conflicts and capacity constraints. Significant delays or increased costs affecting our supply chain could materially affect our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. Disruptions at our suppliers could lead to increases in raw material or energy costs and/or reduced availability of materials or energy, potentially affecting our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Domestic and Foreign Taxation and Government Regulation and Oversight

Changes in tax laws could result in fluctuations in our effective tax rate and have a material effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

We pay income taxes in the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions. Our effective tax rate is derived from a combination of local tax rates and tax attributes applicable to our operations in the various countries, states and other jurisdictions in which we operate. Our effective tax rates and tax liabilities could therefore be materially affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in tax rates, expiration or lapses of tax credits or incentives, changes in uncertain tax positions, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, or changes in tax laws or in how they are interpreted or enforced, including matters such as transfer pricing. In addition, we are regularly under audit by tax authorities, and the final decisions of such audits could materially affect our current tax estimates and tax positions. See Note 10, Incomes Taxes , and Note 25, Commitments and Contingencies , to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report for a discussion of uncertain tax positions, tax years subject to examination, and audits and inspections. Any of these factors or similar tax-related risks could cause our effective tax rate and tax-related payments, including any such payments related to tax liabilities of businesses we have acquired, to significantly differ from previous periods and current or future expectations which could have a material effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

Pending and future legal proceedings, including tax and environmental matters, could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations, as well as our reputation in the markets we serve.

The Company and its subsidiaries are routinely party to proceedings, cases, and requests for information from, and negotiations with, various claimants and federal and state agencies relating to various legal matters, including tax and environmental matters. See Note 10, Incomes Taxes , and Note 25, Commitments and Contingencies , to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report, which describes uncertain tax positions and audits and inspections, as well as information concerning amounts accrued associated with certain environmental remediation costs and other potential commitments or contingencies. An adverse result in one or more pending or ongoing matters or any potential future matter of a similar nature could materially and adversely affect our liquidity, financial position, and results of operations, as well as our reputation in the markets we serve.

Failure to comply with the complex global regulatory environment in which we operate could have an adverse impact on our reputation and/or a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

We are subject to government regulation in all jurisdictions in which we conduct business. Changes in the regulatory environments in which we operate, particularly, but not limited to, the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, China, India, Thailand, Australia, the U.K. and the EU, could lead to heightened regulatory compliance costs and scrutiny, could adversely impact our ability to continue selling certain products in the U.S. or foreign markets, and/or could otherwise increase the cost of doing business. While we seek to mitigate these risks through a variety of actions, including receiving Responsible Care Certification, ongoing employee training, and employing comprehensive environmental, health and safety programs, there is no guarantee these actions will prevent all potential regulatory compliance issues. For instance, failure to comply with the EU’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (“REACH”) regulations or other similar laws and regulations could result in our inability to sell certain products or we could incur fines, ongoing monitoring obligations or other future business consequences, which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations. In addition, the U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”) requires chemicals to be assessed against a risk-based safety standard and then requires that unreasonable risks that are identified be eliminated. This regulation and other pending initiatives at the U.S. state level, as well as initiatives in Canada, Asia and other regions, could potentially require toxicological testing and risk assessments of a wide variety of chemicals, including chemicals used or produced by us. These assessments may result in heightened concerns about the chemicals involved and additional requirements being placed on their production, handling, labeling or use. These concerns and additional requirements could also increase the cost incurred by our customers to use our chemical products and otherwise limit their use which could lead to a decrease in demand for these products. A decrease in demand due to these issues could have an adverse impact on our liquidity, financial position, and results of operations.

Further, we are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”), the U.K. Bribery Act and other anti-bribery, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws in jurisdictions around the world. These and similar laws generally prohibit companies and their officers, directors, employees and third-party intermediaries, business partners and agents from making improper payments or providing other improper items of value to government officials or other persons. While we have policies and procedures and internal controls designed to address compliance with such laws, including employee training programs, we cannot guarantee that our employees and third-party intermediaries, business partners and agents will not take, or be alleged to have taken, actions in violation of such policies and laws for which we may be ultimately held responsible. Detecting, investigating and resolving actual or alleged violations may require a significant diversion of time, resources and attention from senior management. Any alleged or actual violation of these or other applicable anti-bribery, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws could result in whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage, investigations, loss of export privileges, and criminal or civil sanctions, penalties and fines, any of which could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

The shipment of goods, services and technology across international borders subjects us to extensive trade laws and regulations. Our import activities are governed by the unique customs laws and regulations in each of the countries where we operate. Moreover, many countries, including the U.S., control the export and re-export of certain goods, services and technology and impose related export record-keeping and reporting obligations, which can be burdensome. Governments may also impose economic sanctions against certain countries, persons and entities that may restrict or prohibit transactions involving such countries, persons and entities, which may limit or prevent our conduct of business in certain jurisdictions.

The laws and regulations concerning import activity, export record-keeping and reporting, export control and economic sanctions are complex and constantly changing. These laws and regulations can cause delays in shipments and unscheduled operational downtime. Moreover, any failure to comply with applicable legal and regulatory trading obligations could result in criminal and civil penalties and sanctions such as fines, imprisonment, debarment from governmental contracts, seizure of shipments and loss of import and export privileges. In addition, investigations by government authorities in these countries could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Uncertainty related to environmental regulation and industry standards relating to, as well as physical risks of, climate change and biodiversity loss, could impact our liquidity, financial position, and results of operations.

Increased public and stakeholder awareness of global climate change, biodiversity loss, and other environmental risks have contributed to, and may result in, even more extensive, international, regional and/or federal requirements or industry standards to reduce or mitigate the effects of these changes. These regulations could mandate even more restrictive regulatory or industry standards than the voluntary goals that we have established or require changes to be adopted on a more accelerated time frame than we currently plan. New disclosure requirements have been adopted various jurisdictions, including in the EU, California, Mexico and Australia. There continues to be a lack of consistent legislation related to disclosure and operational matters, which creates complexity and economic and regulatory uncertainty. Although we are closely following developments in this area and changes in the regulatory landscape in the U.S. and our other markets, we cannot predict how or when those challenges may ultimately impact our business. While certain climate change initiatives may result in new business opportunities for us in the area of alternative fuel technologies and emissions control, compliance with these initiatives may also result in additional costs to us including, among other things, increased production costs, additional taxes and compliance costs, reduced emission allowances or additional restrictions on production or operations.

In addition, the potential physical impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss are highly uncertain. These may include extreme weather events and long-term changes in temperature levels and water availability as well as damaged ecosystems. The physical risks of climate change and biodiversity loss may impact our facilities, customers and suppliers, and the availability and costs of materials and natural resources, sources and supply of energy, product demand and manufacturing. In addition, climate change may increase both the frequency and severity of natural disasters that may affect our business operations.

If environmental laws or regulations or industry standards are changed in a manner that imposes significant additional operational restrictions and compliance requirements upon us or our products, or our operations are disrupted due to physical impacts of climate change or biodiversity loss, our business, capital expenditures, liquidity, results of operations, financial condition and competitive position could be negatively impacted.

We are subject to stringent labor and employment laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate, and our relationship with our employees could deteriorate which could adversely impact our operations.

A majority of our full-time employees are employed outside the U.S. In many jurisdictions where we operate, labor and employment laws and regulations grant significant job protection to some employees including rights on termination of employment. In addition, in some countries our employees are represented by works councils or are governed by collective bargaining agreements and we are often required to consult with and seek the consent or advice of such representatives. These laws and regulations, together with our obligations to seek consent or consult with the relevant unions or works councils, could have a significant impact on our flexibility in managing our workforce and responding to market changes. While the Company believes it has generally positive relations with its labor unions and employees, there is no guarantee the Company will be able to successfully negotiate new or renew labor agreements without work stoppages, labor difficulties or unfavorable terms. If we were to experience an extended interruption of operations at any of our facilities because of strikes or other work stoppages, our liquidity, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

We may be unable to adequately protect our proprietary rights and trade brands, which may limit our ability to compete in our markets and could adversely affect our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

We have a limited number of patents and patent applications, including patents issued, applied for, or acquired in the U.S. and in various foreign countries, some of which are material to our business. However, we rely principally on our proprietary formulae and applications know-how and experience to meet customer needs. Also, our products are identified by trademarks that are registered throughout our marketing area. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary information through patent and trademark filings, and the use of appropriate trade secret protections, it is possible that competitors or other unauthorized third parties may obtain, copy, use, disclose or replicate our formulae, products, and processes. Similarly, third parties may assert claims against us and our customers and distributors alleging our products infringe upon third-party intellectual property rights. In addition, the laws and/or judicial systems of foreign countries in which we design, manufacture, market and sell our products may afford little or no effective protection of our proprietary technology or trade brands. Also, security over our global information technology structure is subject to increasing risks associated with cyber-crime and other related cyber-security threats. These potential risks to our proprietary information, trade brands and other intellectual property could subject us to increased competition and a failure to protect, defend or enforce our intellectual property rights could negatively impact our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

General Risk Factors

Our business could be adversely affected by environmental, health and safety laws and regulations or by potential product, service or other related liability claims.

The development, manufacture and sale of specialty chemicals and other services involve inherent exposure to potential product liability claims, service level claims, product recalls and related adverse publicity. Some customers have and may in the future require us to represent that our products conform to certain product specifications provided by them. Any failure to comply with such specifications could result in claims or legal action against us. Any of the foregoing potential product or service risks could also result in substantial and unexpected expenditures and affect customer confidence in our products and services, which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial position and results of operations.

In addition, our business is subject to hazards associated with the manufacturing, handling, use, storage, and transportation of chemical materials and products, including historical operations at our current and former facilities. These potential hazards could cause personal injury and loss of life, severe damage to, or destruction of, property or equipment and environmental contamination or other environmental damage, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In the jurisdictions in which we operate, we are subject to numerous U.S. and non-U.S. national, federal, state and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes and the cleanup of contaminated properties. We currently use, and in the past have used, hazardous substances at many of our facilities, and we have in the past been, and may in the future be, subject to claims relating to exposure to or contamination caused by hazardous materials. We also have generated, and continue to generate, hazardous wastes at a number of our facilities. Liabilities associated with the investigation and cleanup of hazardous substances, as well as personal injury, property damages or natural resource damages arising from the release of, or exposure to, such hazardous substances, may be imposed in many situations without regard to violations of laws or regulations or other fault, and may also be imposed jointly and severally (so that a responsible party may be held liable for more than its share of the losses involved, or even the entire loss). These liabilities may also be imposed on many different entities, including, for example, current and prior property owners or operators, as well as entities that arranged for the disposal of the hazardous substances. The liabilities may be material and can be difficult to identify or quantify. In addition, the occurrence of disruptions, shutdowns or other material operating problems at our facilities or those of our customers due to any of these risks could adversely affect our reputation and have a material adverse effect on our operations as a whole, including our results of operations and cash flows, both during and after the period of operational difficulties.

Further, some of the raw materials we handle are subject to government regulation that affect the manufacturing processes, handling, uses and applications of our products. In addition, our production facilities and a number of our distribution centers require numerous operating permits. Due to the nature of these requirements and changes in our operations, our operations may exceed limits under permits or we may not have the proper permits to conduct our operations.

Ongoing compliance with environmental laws, regulations and permits that impact registration/approval requirements, transportation and storage of raw materials and finished products, and storage and disposal of wastes could require us to make changes in manufacturing processes or product formulations and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. We may incur substantial costs, including fines, damages, criminal or civil sanctions and remediation costs, or experience interruptions in our operations, including as a result of revocation, non-renewal or modification of the Company’s operating permits and revocation of the Company’s product registrations, for violations arising under these laws or permit requirements. Any such revocation, modification or non-renewal may require the Company to cease or limit the manufacture and sale of its products at one or more of its facilities, which may limit or prevent the Company’s ability to meet product demand or build new facilities and may have a material adverse effect on liquidity, financial position, and results of operations. Additional information may arise in the future concerning the nature or extent of our liability with respect to identified sites, and additional sites may be identified for which we are alleged to be liable, which could cause us to materially increase our environmental accrual or the upper range of the costs we believe we could reasonably incur for such matters. Increased compliance costs may not affect competitors in the same way that they affect us due to differences in product formulations, manufacturing locations or other factors, and we could be at a competitive disadvantage, which might adversely affect our financial performance.

Our insurance may not fully cover all potential exposures.

We maintain product, property, business interruption, casualty, cyber, and other general liability insurance, but this may not cover all risks associated with the hazards of our business and these coverages are subject to limitations, including deductibles and coverage limits. We may incur losses beyond the limits, or outside the coverage, of our insurance policies, including liabilities for environmental remediation. In addition, from time to time, various types of insurance for companies in the specialty chemical industry have not been available on commercially acceptable terms and, in some cases, have not been available at all. We are potentially at additional risk if one or more of our insurance carriers fail. Additionally, severe disruptions in the domestic and global financial markets could adversely impact the ratings and survival of some of our insurers. Future downgrades in the ratings of insurers could adversely impact both the availability of appropriate insurance coverage and its cost. In the future, we may not be able to obtain coverage at current levels, if at all, and our premiums may increase significantly on coverage that we maintain.

Impairment evaluations of goodwill, intangible assets, investments or other long-lived assets could result in a reduction in our recorded asset values, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

We perform reviews of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets on an annual basis, or more frequently if triggering events indicate a possible impairment. We test goodwill at the reporting unit level by comparing the carrying value of the net assets of the reporting unit, including goodwill, to the reporting unit's fair value. Similarly, we test indefinite-lived intangible assets by comparing the fair value of the assets to their carrying values. If the carrying values of goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible assets exceed their fair value, the goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible assets would be considered impaired. In addition, we perform a review of a definite-lived intangible assets or other long-lived assets when changes in circumstances or events indicate a possible impairment. If any impairment or related charge is warranted, as we determined to be the case in the second quarter of 2025 when we recognized an $88.8 million impairment charge related to our EMEA reportable segment, then our financial position and results of operations could be materially affected. See Note 15, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets , to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.

If we identify a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting, or if we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately determine our financial results or prevent fraud, either of which could have a material effect on us.

Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and effectively prevent fraud. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires us to evaluate and report on our internal control over financial reporting. We cannot be certain that we will be successful in maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting and financial processes. We have in the past and may in the future discover areas of our internal controls that need improvement. Furthermore, to the extent our business grows or significantly changes, our internal controls may become more complex, and we could require significantly more resources to ensure our internal controls remain effective. If we identify material weaknesses in the future, it could negatively impact our operations or the market value of our common stock. Additionally, the existence of a material weakness may require management to devote significant time and incur significant expense to remediate any such material weaknesses and management may not be able to remediate it, which we may not be able to do in a timely manner.

Disruption of critical information systems or material breaches in the security of our systems could adversely affect our business and our customer relationships and subject us to fines or other regulatory actions.

We rely on information technology systems, digital telecommunications and other computer resources to obtain, process, analyze, manage, transmit, and store electronic information in our day-to-day operations. We also rely on our technology infrastructure in all aspects of our business, including to interact with customers and suppliers, fulfill orders and bill, collect and make payments, ship products, provide support to customers, and fulfill contractual obligations. Further, we rely on our vendors and third-party service providers to maintain effective cybersecurity measures to keep our information secure. Our information technology systems are subject to potential disruptions, including significant network or power outages, usage errors by our employees, business partners, or outside service providers, cyberattacks, ransomware attacks, computer viruses, other malicious codes, and/or unauthorized access attempts, any of which, if successful, could result in data leaks or otherwise compromise our confidential or proprietary information and disrupt our operations. Security breaches could result in unauthorized disclosure of confidential information or personal data belonging to our employees, partners, customers or suppliers for which we may incur liability. Cyberattacks and other security threats could originate from a wide variety of external sources, including cyber-criminals, nation-state hackers, hacktivists and other outside parties. Cyberattacks and other security threats could also originate from the malicious or accidental acts of insiders, such as employees, and other business partners and outside service providers. Cybersecurity threats, attempted intrusions and other incidents, such as these, are becoming more sophisticated and frequent. Security breaches and cyber incidents have, from time to time, occurred and may occur in the future. Although the breaches and cyber incidents experienced to date have not had a material impact, there can be no assurance that our protective measures will prevent security breaches that could have a significant impact on our business, reputation and financial results. Additionally, the costs to combat cyber or other security threats can be significant, and our efforts to address these problems may not be successful and could result in interruptions, delays, cessation of service and loss of existing or potential customers that may impede our sales, manufacturing, distribution or other critical functions. Media or other reports of perceived vulnerabilities in our network security, regardless of their immediacy or accuracy, could adversely impact our reputation and materially affect our business and financial results. While we have implemented security measures and internal controls designed to protect against cyber and other security threats, such measures cannot provide absolute security and may not be successful in preventing future security breaches.

We are subject to the data privacy and protection laws and regulations adopted by federal, state and foreign legislatures and governmental agencies in various countries in which we operate, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation. Implementing and complying with these laws and regulations may be more costly or take longer than we anticipate or could otherwise affect our business operations.

In addition, some U.S. state governments have enacted or are considering enacting more stringent laws and regulations protecting personal information and data. For instance, California passed the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, (“CCPA”), which went into effect in January 2020. The CCPA gives California residents expanded rights to access and delete their personal information, opt out of certain personal information sharing, and receive detailed information about how their personal information is used. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as for private rights of action for certain data breaches that result in the loss of personal information. In addition, the California Consumer Rights Act (“CPRA”) was recently enacted to strengthen elements of the CCPA and became effective January 1, 2023. A number of other states have considered similar privacy proposals, with states like Virginia and Colorado enacting their own privacy laws. These privacy laws and the evolving regulatory environment related to personal data may impact our business activities, and while we carry cyber insurance, we cannot be certain that our coverage will be adequate for liabilities actually incurred, that insurance will continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms, or at all, or that any insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim.

Breaches, cyber incidents and disruptions, or failure to comply with laws and regulations related to information security or privacy by us, our vendors and third-party service providers could result in legal claims or proceedings against us by governmental entities or individuals, significant fines, penalties or judgements, disruption of our operations, remediation requirements, changes to our business practices, and damage to our reputation. Therefore, a failure to monitor, maintain or protect our information technology systems and data integrity effectively or to anticipate, plan for and recover from significant disruptions to these systems could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.

We are subject to risks associated with the development and use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) technologies by us and third parties

Although currently limited, the deployment of AI technologies in our operations, products, and services may expose us to significant competitive, legal, regulatory, and operational risks. There can be no assurance that our use of AI will achieve the intended benefits or enhance our business as anticipated. Competitors may be more effective in leveraging AI tools, developing superior products or applications, or optimizing their operations, which could place us at a competitive disadvantage.

The use of AI also presents risks related to algorithmic errors, flawed or biased training data, or unintended consequences resulting from AI-driven processes. Our AI applications may inadvertently result in the loss or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information or intellectual property and may complicate our ability to claim or enforce intellectual property rights. We may also face increased risks of intellectual property infringement, data privacy violations, cybersecurity breaches, or unauthorized use of company or customer data as a result of AI implementation.

Furthermore, the regulatory landscape for AI is evolving rapidly. For example, certain states such as Utah, Colorado and California have enacted legislation governing the development and/or use of AI systems. Meanwhile, the White House has issued an Executive Order titled “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence” which seeks to establish a federal framework for regulation of artificial intelligence. Existing and new laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where we operate may increase our compliance costs, restrict our use of AI technologies, or expose us to additional legal liability. Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Our business depends on attracting and retaining qualified management and other key personnel.

Due to the specialized and technical nature of our business, our future performance is dependent on our ability to attract, develop and retain qualified leadership, commercial, technical, and other key personnel. Competition for such talent is intense and has further increased in light of evolving labor and employment trends, including the increase in remote, hybrid or other alternative flexible work arrangements and, in many jurisdictions, laws and regulations aimed at limiting or eliminating the enforceability of non-competition and other restrictive covenants with employees. In the current labor and employment environment, we may be unable to continue to attract or retain such personnel. In an effort to mitigate such risks, the Company utilizes retention bonuses, offers competitive total rewards and maintains continuous succession planning, including for our senior executive officers. However, there can be no assurance that these mitigating factors will be adequate to attract or retain qualified management or other key personnel. Failure to retain key employees, failure to effectively implement our succession planning efforts and successfully transition key roles, or the inability to hire, train, retain and manage qualified personnel could also adversely affect our business.

Increasing scrutiny and changing expectations from stakeholders with respect to our Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) practices may impose additional costs on us or expose us to new or additional risks.

Companies across all industries are facing increasing scrutiny from stakeholders related to their ESG practices. Investor advocacy groups, institutional investors, investment funds, and other influential parties are also increasingly focused on ESG practices and in recent years have placed increasing importance on the implications and social cost of their investments. Regardless of the industry, investors’ increased focus and activism related to ESG and similar matters may impact access to capital, as investors may decide to reallocate capital or to not commit capital as a result of their assessment of a company’s ESG practices.

We face pressures from certain stakeholders to prioritize and promote sustainable practices and reduce our carbon footprint. Our stakeholders may pressure us to implement ESG procedures or standards beyond those we have in place in order to continue engaging with us, to remain invested in us, or before they will make further investments in us. Additionally, we may face reputational challenges in the event our ESG procedures or standards do not meet the standards set by certain constituencies. We have adopted certain practices as highlighted in the Company’s Sustainability Report, including with respect to environmental stewardship. The Company’s Sustainability Report is published annually and is available on the Company’s corporate website at home.quakerhoughton.com/sustainability.

Legislation requiring disclosure related to ESG matters is increasingly being adopted by governments in various jurisdictions, including the EU, Mexico, Australia and California, which requirements are expected to be applicable to us or certain of our operations and which impose varying and differing requirements. These developing requirements can significantly expand climate and other sustainability related disclosure requirements, which could require substantial time and attention of management and financial resources. Further, as we work to align with the recommendations of recognized third-party frameworks, we continue to expand our disclosures in these areas. This is consistent with our commitment to executing on a strategy that reflects the economic, social, and environmental impact we have on the world while advancing and complementing our business strategy. Our disclosures on these matters and standards we set for ourselves or a failure to meet these standards, may influence our reputation and the value of our brand. It is possible that our stakeholders might not be satisfied with our ESG efforts or the speed of their adoption. If we do not meet our stakeholders’ expectations, our business and/or our ability to access capital could be harmed. Any harm to our reputation resulting from setting these standards or our failure or perceived failure to meet such standards could adversely affect our business, financial performance, and growth.

Additionally, adverse effects upon our customers’ industries related to the worldwide social and political environment may also adversely affect demand for our services. This includes the uncertainty or instability resulting from climate change or biodiversity loss, changes in political leadership and environmental policies, changes in geopolitical-social views toward fossil fuels and renewable energy, concern about the environmental impact of climate change or biodiversity loss, and investors’ expectations regarding ESG matters. Any long-term material adverse effect on our customers or their industries could have a significant financial and operational adverse impact on our business.

In addition, “Anti-ESG” sentiment has also gained momentum across the U.S., with a growing number of states, federal agencies, the executive branch and Congress having enacted or proposed “anti-ESG” policies, legislation or issued related legal opinions and engaged in related investigations and litigation. As such, we may face scrutiny, reputational risk, lawsuits, market access restrictions or governmental enforcement actions or penalties as a result of our ESG programs and commitments, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial position, and results of operations. We are closely monitoring these developments.

Terrorist attacks, wars and armed conflicts, natural disasters, widespread public health crises or other uncommon events may affect the markets in which we operate and our profitability which could adversely affect our business, liquidity, financial position, and results of operations.

Wars and armed conflicts, such as the ongoing military conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as responses to such events including sanctions, boycotts, protests or other restrictive actions by the U.S. and/or other countries or its residents, terrorist attacks, cyber-attacks, natural disasters, widespread public health crises or other disruptive events may negatively affect our operations. There can be no assurance that there will not be violence or unrest in the jurisdictions where we do business. Also, natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, fires, floods, and tsunamis cannot be predicted.

Wars or armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, cyber-attacks, and natural disasters (which may be amplified by ongoing global climate change and biodiversity loss) may directly impact our physical facilities and/or those of our suppliers or customers. In addition, such events may disrupt the global insurance and reinsurance industries with the result that we may not be able to obtain insurance at historical terms and levels, if at all, for all of our facilities. In addition, available insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover all of the damage incurred or, if available, may be prohibitively expensive. Widespread public health crises, including contagious diseases, could also disrupt operations of the Company, its suppliers and customers, which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations. A significant outbreak of contagious diseases in the human population similar to the COVID-19 pandemic could also result in an economic downturn that could adversely affect demand for our products and impact our operating results. To the extent that the Company’s customers and suppliers are materially and adversely impacted by a widespread outbreak of contagious disease, this could reduce the availability, or result in delays, of materials or supplies to or from the Company, which in turn could materially interrupt the Company’s business operations.

The consequences of wars or armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, cyber-attacks, natural disasters, widespread public health crises or other uncommon global events can be unpredictable, and we may not be able to foresee or effectively plan for these events, resulting in a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial position, and results of operations.

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

As used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Report”), the terms “Quaker Houghton,” the “Company,” “we,” and “our” refer to Quaker Chemical Corporation (doing business as Quaker Houghton), its subsidiaries, and associated companies, unless the context otherwise requires.

Executive Summary

Quaker Houghton is the global leader in industrial process fluids. With a presence around the world, including operations in over 25 countries, our customers include thousands of the world’s most advanced and specialized steel, aluminum, automotive, aerospace, offshore, container, mining, and metalworking companies. Our high-performing, innovative and sustainable solutions are backed by best-in-class technology, deep process knowledge, and customized services. Quaker Houghton is headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, located near Philadelphia in the U.S.

Net sales of $1,888.6 million in 2025 increased 3% compared to $1,839.7 million in 2024. The net sales increase of $48.9 million, or 3%, is primarily due to contributions from acquisitions of approximately 4% and favorable foreign currency translation of approximately 1%, partially offset by decreases in selling price and product mix of approximately 2%. Organic sales volumes remained consistent in 2025 compared to 2024, primarily as a result of continued new business wins across all segments, particularly Asia/Pacific, which was offset by a continuation of soft end market conditions including the uncertainty caused by tariffs, particularly in the Americas and EMEA segments. The decrease in selling price and product mix was primarily attributable to the impact of the mix of products, services and geographies and the impact of our index-based customer contracts.

The Company reported a net loss of $2.5 million or $0.14 net loss per diluted share in 2025, compared to a net income of $116.6 million or $6.51 earnings per diluted share in 2024. The net loss primarily reflects an $88.8 million non-cash impairment charge to write down the remaining value of goodwill associated with the Company’s EMEA reportable segment. Excluding non-recurring and non-core items, the Company’s current year non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share were $123.2 million and $7.02, respectively, compared to $133.5 million and $7.44, respectively, in 2024. The decrease in current year Non-GAAP earnings was primarily driven by lower gross margins and an increase in selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”), partially offset by an increase in net sales. The Company generated adjusted EBITDA of $299.2 million compared to $310.9 million in 2024, as the increase in net sales was offset by lower operating margins and an increase in SG&A. Non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per diluted share and adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Consolidated—Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for the definition and reconciliation of these measures to their most comparable GAAP measures.

The Company’s 2025 operating performance in each of its three reportable segments: (i) Americas; (ii) EMEA; and (iii) Asia/Pacific, reflects similar drivers to that of the Company’s consolidated performance. The increase in operating earnings for the Asia/Pacific segment compared to the prior year was primarily driven by an increase in net sales and further contribution from acquisitions, partially offset by lower segment operating margins. The decrease in operating earnings for the EMEA segment compared to the prior year was primarily driven by lower segment operating margins, partially offset by an increase in net sales. The decrease in operating earnings for the America segment compared to the prior year was primarily driven by a decrease in net sales and a decrease in segment operating margins. Additional details of segment operating performance are provided in the Reportable Segments Review in the Operations section of this Item below.

Net cash flows provided by operating activities were $136.5 million in 2025 compared to $204.6 million in 2024. The decrease in net operating cash flows was primarily driven by lower operating performance, higher cash outflows from restructuring activities and higher outflows from working capital in 2025 compared to 2024. The key drivers of the Company’s operating cash flow and working capital are further discussed in the Company’s Liquidity and Capital Resources section of this Item 7, below.

The Company performed well in 2025, making progress on its long-term financial and strategic initiatives. In addition, the Company results in 2025 reflect an increase in sales volumes in the Asia/Pacific segment and new business wins across all segments, despite a continuation of challenging end market conditions, particularly in the Americas and EMEA segments.

On July 4, 2025, H.R. 1, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the “OBBB”), was signed into law. The OBBB includes significant changes to the federal corporate tax provisions and extends certain otherwise expiring provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Among other things, the legislation restores 100% bonus depreciation for eligible property, reinstates expensing for domestic research and experimental expenditures, imposes new limitations on interest expense deductibility, and expands disallowed deductions for certain employee remuneration. The legislation has multiple effective dates, with certain provisions effective in 2025 and other provisions implemented through 2027. The provisions effective in 2025 do not have a material impact to our consolidated financial statements. The Company is continuing to evaluate the potential impacts of the provisions effective in 2026 and 2027.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Quaker Houghton’s discussion and analysis of its financial condition and results of operations are based on its consolidated financial statements which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of these financial statements requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including those related to customer sales incentives, product returns, credit losses, inventories, property, plant and equipment (“PP&E”), investments, goodwill, intangible assets, income taxes, business combinations, and restructuring. These estimates reflect historical experience as well as our best judgment about current and/or future economic and market conditions and their effects and various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable based on currently available information, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. However, actual results may differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Quaker Houghton believes the following critical accounting policies describe the more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of its consolidated financial statements:

Accounts receivable and inventory exposures: The Company establishes allowances for credit losses for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments. If the financial condition of the Company’s customers was to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required. As part of our terms of trade, we may custom manufacture products for certain large customers and/or may ship products on a consignment basis. Further, a significant portion of our revenue is derived from sales to customers in industries where companies have previously experienced financial difficulties. If a significant customer bankruptcy occurs, then we must judge the amount of proceeds, if any, that may ultimately be received through the bankruptcy or liquidation process. These matters may increase the Company’s exposure should a bankruptcy occur and may require a write down or a disposal of certain inventory as well as the failure to collect receivables. Reserves for customers filing for bankruptcy protection are established based on a percentage of the amount of receivables outstanding at the bankruptcy filing date. However, initially establishing this reserve and the amount thereof is dependent on the Company’s evaluation of likely proceeds to be received from the bankruptcy process, which could result in the Company recognizing minimal or no reserve at the date of bankruptcy. We generally reserve for large and/or financially distressed customers on a specific review basis, while a general reserve is maintained for other customers based on historical experience. The Company’s consolidated allowance for credit losses was $14.9 million and $13.6 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The Company recorded expense to increase its provision for credit losses by $0.7 million, $2.1 million and $1.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Tax exposures, uncertain tax positions and valuation allowances: The Company records expenses and liabilities for taxes based on estimates of amounts that will be determined as deductible or taxable in tax returns filed in various jurisdictions. The filed tax returns are subject to audit, which often occur several years subsequent to the date of the financial statements. Disputes or disagreements may arise during audits over the timing or validity of certain items, such as taxable income or deductions, which may not be resolved for extended periods of time. The Company also evaluates uncertain tax positions on all income tax positions taken on previously filed tax returns or expected to be taken on a future tax return in accordance with FIN 48, which prescribes the recognition threshold and measurement attributes for financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return and, also, whether the benefits of tax positions are probable or if they are more likely than not to be sustained upon audit based upon the technical merits of the tax position. For tax positions that are determined to be more likely than not to be sustained upon audit, the Company recognizes the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement in the financial statements. For tax positions that are not determined to be more likely than not sustained upon audit, the Company does not recognize any portion of the benefit in its financial statements. In addition, the Company’s continuing practice is to recognize interest and/or penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. Also, the Company nets its liability for unrecognized tax benefits against deferred tax assets related to net operating losses or other tax credit carryforward on the basis that the uncertain tax position is settled for the presumed amount at the balance sheet date.

The Company also records valuation allowances on a quarterly basis to reduce its deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. While the Company has considered future taxable income and assesses the need for a valuation allowance, in the event the Company were to determine that it would be able to realize its deferred tax assets in the future in excess of its net recorded amount, an adjustment to the deferred tax asset would increase income in the period such determination was made. Likewise, should the Company determine that it would not be able to realize all or part of its net deferred tax assets in the future, an adjustment to the deferred tax asset would be charged to income in the period such determination was made. Both determinations could have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Pursuant to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“U.S. Tax Reform”), the Company recorded a $15.5 million transition tax liability for U.S. income taxes on the undistributed earnings of non-U.S. subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2025, the $15.5 million transition liability has been fully paid. The Company may also be subject to other taxes, such as withholding taxes and dividend distribution taxes, if these undistributed earnings are ultimately remitted to the U.S. As of December 31, 2025, the Company has a deferred tax liability of $8.5 million, which primarily represents the estimate of the non-U.S. taxes the Company will incur to remit certain previously taxed earnings to the U.S. It is the Company’s current intention to reinvest its future undistributed earnings of non-U.S. subsidiaries to support working capital needs and certain other growth initiatives outside of the U.S. The amount of such undistributed earnings at December 31, 2025 was approximately $429.2 million. Any tax liability which might result from ultimate remittance of these earnings is expected to be substantially offset by foreign tax credits (“FTCs”) (subject to certain limitations), however, certain withholding taxes could apply. It is currently impractical to estimate any such incremental tax expense. See Note 10, Income Taxes , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

Business Combinations: The Company accounts for business combinations under the acquisition method of accounting. This method requires the recording of acquired assets, including separately identifiable intangible assets, at their acquisition date fair values. Any excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. The determination of the estimated fair value of assets acquired requires management’s judgment and often involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including assumptions with respect to projected revenue growth rates, gross margins, and operating margins, the weighted average cost of capital (“WACC”), royalty rates, asset lives and market multiples, among other items. When necessary, the Company consults with external advisors to help determine fair value. For non-observable market values, the Company may determine fair value using acceptable valuation principles, including the excess earnings, relief from royalty, lost profit or cost methods. The Company engaged an independent third-party valuation specialist to assist with the allocation of the total purchase price for the acquisition of Dipsol Chemicals Co., Ltd. and its subsidiaries, (“Dipsol”) to the fair value of the net assets acquired. The preliminary fair value of customer-related intangible assets was determined using the multi-period excess earnings method, while the preliminary fair value of product technology and trademarks were determined using the relief from royalty method. These valuation methodologies required the use of several assumptions and estimates, including, but not limited to, the customer attrition rate, the discount rate, net sales attributable to existing customers, the economic life, the EBITDA margin, and the contributory asset charge for the customer-related intangible assets, and the discount rate, the projected revenue, the royalty rate, and the economic life for the product technology and trademark intangible assets. The preliminary fair value of inventory was determined using the net realizable value approach, which includes the use of several estimates, including the selling prices and current replacement cost as of the valuation date. The preliminary fair value of land was determined using a sales comparison approach, which includes the use of several assumptions and estimates, including reproduction/replacement cost, while the preliminary fair value of building and improvements and personal property was determined using the cost approach, which includes the use of several assumptions and estimates, including the building condition, floor value, physical deterioration, functional and economic obsolescence, reproduction/replacement cost, and remaining useful lives. For further information see Note 2, Business Combinations , to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Goodwill and other intangible assets: The Company amortizes definite-lived intangible assets on a straight-line basis over their useful lives. Goodwill and intangible assets that have indefinite lives are not amortized and are required to be assessed at least annually for impairment. The Company completes its annual goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment test during the fourth quarter of each year, or more frequently if triggering events indicate a possible impairment. As part of annual goodwill impairment testing, the Company has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. The Company’s evaluation of qualitative factors includes an assessment of relevant facts, events, and circumstances of a reporting unit including but not limited to macroeconomic conditions, industry and market conditions, overall finance performance, cost factors that have a negative effect on earnings and cash flows, sustained decreases in the Company’s share price, and etc. The Company will perform a quantitative test when qualitative factors alone are not sufficient to conclude whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If the Company performs a quantitative test, an impairment loss will be recognized for the amount by which the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.

The Company’s consolidated goodwill at December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $501.7 million and $518.9 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company had indefinite-lived intangible assets for trademarks and intangibles totaling $201.2 million and $185.3 million, respectively.

During the second quarter of 2025, the Company concluded that the negative impacts of the lower than projected financial performance, driven by the continuation of soft end market conditions, as well as an increase in the Company’s cost of capital, driven by uncertainty around the potential negative impacts of tariffs, represented a triggering event for the Company’s EMEA reporting unit and the associated goodwill. In completing a quantitative goodwill impairment test, the Company compared the reporting unit’s fair value, based on future discounted cash flows, to its carrying value in order to determine if an impairment of goodwill exists. The estimates of future discounted cash flows involve considerable judgment and are based upon certain significant assumptions including the WACC as well as projected EBITDA, which includes assumptions related to revenue growth rates, gross margin levels and operating expenses. As a result of the impact of the uncertainty around tariffs, and continued soft end market conditions driving lower current year EMEA earnings and a decline in projected future EMEA earnings, as well as an increase in the WACC assumption utilized in the Company’s 2024 annual impairment assessment, the Company concluded that the estimated fair value of the EMEA reporting unit was less than its carrying value. As a result, a pre-tax, non-cash impairment charge of $88.8 million ($86.7 million after-tax) to write down the remaining carrying value amount of the EMEA reporting unit Goodwill was recorded in the second quarter of 2025, reflected in “Impairment charges” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2025.

In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025, the Company performed its annual impairment assessment by applying the quantitative assessment and concluded that it was more likely than not that the fair value of each reporting unit was greater than its carrying value.

Pension and Postretirement benefits: The Company provides certain defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefits to current employees, former employees and retirees. Independent actuaries, in accordance with U.S. GAAP, perform the required valuations to determine benefit expense and, if necessary, non-cash charges to equity for additional minimum pension liabilities. Critical assumptions used in the actuarial valuation include the weighted average discount rate, which is based on applicable yield curve data, including the use of a split discount rate (spot-rate approach) for the U.S. plans and certain foreign plans, rates of increase in compensation levels, and expected long-term rates of return on assets.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

See Note 3, Recently Issued Accounting Standards , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information and for a discussion regarding recently adopted accounting standards and recently issued accounting standards not yet adopted.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Company had cash and cash equivalents of $179.8 million and $188.9 million at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Cash held by subsidiaries in foreign countries was approximately $171.4 million and $180.6 million at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The $9.1 million decrease in cash and cash equivalents was the net result of $214.1 million of cash used in investing activities, largely offset by $136.5 million of cash provided by operating activities, $61.8 million provided by financing activities, and a favorable impact of foreign currency translation of approximately $6.7 million.

Net cash flows provided by operating activities were $136.5 million in 2025 compared to $204.6 million in 2024. The decrease in net operating cash flow year-over-year reflects lower operating performance in 2025 compared to 2024, higher outflows from restructuring activities, and an increase in net cash outflows from working capital, primarily due to higher outflows of accounts payable and accrued liabilities due to timing of payments and higher outflows for the purchases of inventories.

Net cash flows used in investing activities were $214.1 million in 2025 compared to $76.4 million in 2024. The increase in cash used in investing activities year-over-year is primarily the result of $164.2 million of payments, net of cash acquired, in the current year related to the acquisitions of Chemical Solutions & Innovations (Pty) Ltd. (“CSI”), Dipsol, and Natech, Ltd., (“Natech”), a $14.1 million increase in payments relating to capital expenditures, and $3.0 million of interest received from the fixed-for-fixed cross-currency swaps designated as net investment hedges. The prior year included $39.3 million of payments, net of cash acquired, related to the acquisitions of I.K.V. Tribologie IKVT and its subsidiaries (“IKV”) and the Sutai Group (“Sutai”). See Note 2, Business Combinations , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information about business acquisitions.

Net cash flows provided by financing activities were $61.8 million in 2025 compared to net cash flows used in financing activities of $122.7 million in 2024. The increase in net cash inflows was primarily driven by $174.2 million of net borrowings on the Company’s revolving credit facility in the current year, an increase of $156.3 million compared to the prior year, which the Company used for the purpose of funding the purchase price of the Dipsol acquisition as well as for other corporate purposes. In addition, the Company made term loan debt payments of approximately $34.7 million in 2025, a $22.5 million decrease in payments compared to the prior year. The Company also made payments of approximately $41.5 million for repurchases of the Company’s common stock under its share repurchase program in the current year, a $7.7 million decrease compared to the prior year.

During June 2022, the Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, Quaker Houghton B.V., as borrowers, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, U.S. Dollar swing line lender and letter of credit issuer, Bank of America Europe Designated Active Company, as Euro Swing Line Lender, certain guarantors and other lenders entered into an amendment to its primary credit facility (the “Original Credit Facility”). The amended credit facility (“Credit Facility”) established (A) a new $150.0 million Euro equivalent senior secured term loan (the “Euro Term Loan”), (B) a new $600.0 million senior secured term loan (the “U.S. Term Loan”), and (C) a new $500.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility (the “Revolver”), each maturing in June 2027. The Company has the right to increase the amount of the Credit Facility by an aggregate amount not to exceed the greater of $300.0 million or 100% of Consolidated EBITDA, subject to certain conditions including the agreement to provide financing by any lender providing such increase.

As of December 31, 2025, the Company had Credit Facility borrowings outstanding of $859.7 million. The Company’s other debt obligations are primarily industrial development bonds, bank lines of credit and municipality-related loans, which totaled $11.5 million as of December 31, 2025. Total unused capacity under these arrangements as of December 31, 2025 was approximately $57.4 million. The Company’s total net debt as of December 31, 2025 was $691.4 million, which consists of total borrowings of $871.2 million less cash and cash equivalents of $179.8 million. The Credit Facility contains affirmative and negative covenants, financial covenants and events of default. Financial covenants contained in the Credit Facility include a consolidated interest coverage ratio test and a consolidated net leverage ratio test. As of December 31, 2025, the Company was in compliance with all of the Credit Facility covenants. Refer to the description of the Company’s primary Credit Facility in Note 19, Debt , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information about the covenants and events of default.

The weighted average variable interest rate incurred on the outstanding borrowings under the Credit Facility during the twelve months ended December 31, 2025 was approximately 5.2%. As of December 31, 2025, the interest rate on the outstanding borrowings under the Credit Facility was approximately 4.7%. As part of the Credit Facility, the Company is required to pay an annual commitment fee ranging from 0.150% to 0.275% related to unutilized commitments under the Revolver, depending on the Company’s consolidated net leverage ratio. The Company had unused capacity under the Revolver of approximately $268.5 million, which is net of bank letters of credit of approximately $2.5 million, as of December 31, 2025.

In order to manage the Company’s exposure to variable interest rate risk associated with the Credit Facility, in the first quarter of 2023, the Company entered into $300.0 million notional amounts of three-year interest rate swaps to convert a portion of the Company’s variable rate borrowings into an average fixed rate obligation of 3.64% plus an applicable margin as provided in the Credit Facility based on the Company’s consolidated net leverage ratio. As of December 31, 2025, the aggregate interest rate on the swaps, including the fixed base rate plus the applicable margin, was 5.0%. See Note 24, Hedging Activities , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

The Company capitalized third-party and credit debt issuance costs attributed to the Euro Term Loan, U.S. Term Loan and Revolver during the second quarter of 2022. Capitalized costs attributed to the Euro Term Loan and U.S. Term Loan are recorded as a direct offset to Long-term debt on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Capitalized costs attributed to the Revolver are recorded within Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. These capitalized costs are amortized into Interest expense over the five year term of the Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company had $0.7 million and $1.1 million, respectively, of debt issuance costs recorded as a reduction of Long-term debt and $1.4 million and $2.4 million, respectively, of debt issuance costs recorded within Other assets.

The Company uses foreign exchange forward contracts to economically hedge the impact of the variability in exchange rates on certain foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities. Additionally, in connection with the Dipsol acquisition, in March 2025, the Company entered into foreign exchange forward contracts with various financial institutions with an aggregate notional amount of $155.3 million to hedge the variability in U.S. dollar-Japanese yen exchange rates associated with the purchase price. These contracts settled on April 1, 2025 in connection with the Dipsol acquisition. The Company recognized a $1.4 million foreign currency loss during the year ended December 31, 2025 in Other (expense) income, net relating to the change in fair value of these instruments as of the settlement date. See Note 24, Hedging Activities , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

During 2022, the Company initiated a global cost and optimization program to improve its cost structure and drive a more profitable and productive organization. The Company has achieved its annualized cost savings goal from this program of at least $20 million. In 2025, the Company approved additional actions under the program, which are expected to generate approximately an additional $40 million of annualized cost savings. These actions are expected to be substantially complete by the end of 2026. The Company recognized $35.1 million, $6.5 million and $7.6 million of restructuring and related charges for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively, as a result of these programs and other facility closure actions. The Company made cash payments related to the settlement of restructuring liabilities under the program of $26.6 million and $7.6 million during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The Company expects total one-time cash costs of this program to be approximately 1 to 1.5 times annualized savings. See Note 7, Restructuring and Related Activities , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

As of December 31, 2025, the Company’s gross liability for uncertain tax positions, including interest and penalties, was $14.2 million. The Company cannot determine a reliable estimate of the timing of cash flows by period related to its uncertain tax position liability. However, should the entire liability be paid, the amount of the payment may be reduced by up to $7.5 million as a result of offsetting benefits in other tax jurisdictions. See Note 10, Income Taxes , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

As previously disclosed, the Board of Directors of the Company has approved a share repurchase program (“2024 Share Repurchase Program”), authorizing the Company to repurchase up to an aggregate of $150 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock and replacing the prior share repurchase program. The 2024 Share Repurchase Program was effective immediately upon approval and has no expiration date. The number of shares to be repurchased and the timing of such transactions depend on a variety of factors, including market conditions. As of December 31, 2025, there was approximately $59.2 million of capacity remaining under the 2024 Share Repurchase Program. The Company repurchased 364,797 and 312,997 shares under the 2024 Share Repurchase Program for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. See Item 5, Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities, Use of Proceeds and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities , within Part II of this Report for further information.

The Company believes that its existing cash, anticipated cash flows from operations and available liquidity will be sufficient to support its operating requirements and fund its business objectives for at least the next twelve months, including but not limited to, payments of dividends to shareholders, share repurchases, capital expenditures, other growth opportunities (including potential acquisitions), pension plan contributions, implementing actions to achieve the Company’s sustainability goals and other potential known or anticipated contingencies. The Company also believes it has sufficient additional liquidity to support its operating requirements and to fund its business obligations for the period beyond the next twelve months, including the aforementioned items which are expected to recur annually, as well as future principal and interest payments on the Company’s Credit Facility, tax obligations and other long-term liabilities. The Company’s liquidity is affected by many factors, some based on normal operations of our business and others related to the impact of global events on our business and on global economic conditions as well as industry uncertainties, which we cannot predict. We also cannot predict economic conditions and industry downturns or the timing, strength or duration of recoveries. We may seek, as we believe appropriate, additional debt or equity financing that would provide capital for corporate purposes, working capital funding, additional liquidity needs or to fund future growth opportunities, including possible acquisitions and organic investments. The timing and amount of potential capital requirements cannot be determined at this time and will depend on a number of factors, including the actual and projected demand for our products, specialty chemical industry conditions, competitive factors, and the condition of financial markets, among others.

The following table summarizes the Company’s contractual obligations as of December 31, 2025, and the effect such obligations are expected to have on its liquidity and cash flows in future periods. Pension and postretirement plan contributions beyond 2026 are not determinable since the amount of any contribution is heavily dependent on the future economic environment and investment returns on pension trust assets. The timing of payments related to other long-term liabilities which consist primarily of deferred compensation agreements and environmental reserves, also cannot be readily determined due to their uncertainty. Interest obligations on the Company’s long-term debt and capital leases assume the current debt levels will be outstanding for the entire respective period and apply the interest rates in effect as of December 31, 2025.

Payments due by period

(dollars in thousand)

2030 and

Beyond

Contractual Obligations

Total

Long-term debt (See Note 19 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements)

Interest obligations (See Note 19 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements)

Capital lease obligations (See Note 6 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements)

Operating leases (See Note 6 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements)

Purchase obligations

Income taxes payable (See Note 10 and Note 21 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements)

Pension and other postretirement plan contributions (See Note 20 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements)

Other long-term liabilities (See Note 21 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements)

Total contractual cash obligations

Non-GAAP Measures

The information in this Report includes non-GAAP (unaudited) financial information that includes EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information as they enhance a reader’s understanding of the financial performance of the Company, facilitate a comparison among fiscal periods, and exclude items that management believes are not indicative of future operating performance or core to the Company’s operations. Non-GAAP results are presented for supplemental informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for the financial information presented in accordance with GAAP. In addition, our definitions of EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, taxes on income before equity in net income of associated companies – adjusted, non-GAAP net income, and non-GAAP earnings per share, as discussed and reconciled below to the most comparable GAAP measures, may not be comparable to similarly named measures reported by other companies.

The Company presents EBITDA, which is calculated as net income attributable to the Company before depreciation and amortization, interest expense, and taxes on income before equity in net income of associated companies. The Company also presents adjusted EBITDA, which is calculated as EBITDA plus or minus certain items that management believes are not indicative of future operating performance or core to the Company’s operations. The Company presents non-GAAP operating income, which is calculated as operating income plus or minus certain items that management believes are not indicative of future operating performance or core to the Company’s operations. Additionally, the Company presents non-GAAP gross profit, which is calculated as gross profit plus or minus certain items that management believes are not indicative of future operating performance or core to the Company’s operations. Adjusted EBITDA margin, non-GAAP operating margin, and non-GAAP gross margin are calculated as the percentage of adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP operating income, and non-GAAP gross profit to consolidated net sales, respectively. The Company believes these non-GAAP measures provide transparent and useful information and are widely used by analysts, investors, and competitors in our industry as well as by management in assessing the operating performance of the Company on a consistent basis.

Additionally, the Company presents non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share as additional performance measures. Non-GAAP net income is calculated as adjusted EBITDA, defined above, less depreciation and amortization, interest expense, and taxes on income before equity in net income of associated companies, in each case adjusted, as applicable, for any depreciation, amortization, interest or tax impacts resulting from the non-core items identified in the reconciliation of net income attributable to the Company to adjusted EBITDA. Non-GAAP earnings per diluted share is calculated as non-GAAP net income per diluted share as accounted for under the “two-class share method.” The Company believes that non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share provide transparent and useful information and are widely used by analysts, investors, and competitors in our industry as well as by management in assessing the performance of the Company on a consistent basis.

Certain of the prior period non-GAAP financial measures presented in the following tables have been adjusted to conform with current period presentation. The following tables reconcile the Company’s non-GAAP financial measures (unaudited) to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures (dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted, except per share amounts):

Non-GAAP Gross Profit and Margin Reconciliations

For the years ended December 31,

Gross profit

Acquisition-related step-up inventory amortization (a)

Gain on inventory and other adjustments (o)

Non-GAAP gross profit

Non-GAAP gross margin (%) (u)

Non-GAAP Operating Income and Margin Reconciliations

For the years ended December 31,

Operating income

Acquisition-related step-up inventory amortization (a)

Restructuring and related charges, net (b)

Acquisition-related expenses (credits) (c)

Strategic planning expenses (credits) (d)

Executive transition costs (f)

Customer insolvency costs (g)

Gain on inventory and other adjustments (o)

Impairment charges (i)

Acquisition-related depreciation and amortization (j)

Other charges (credits) (p)

Non-GAAP operating income

Non-GAAP operating margin (%) (u)

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin and Non-GAAP Net Income Reconciliations

For the years ended December 31,

Net income attributable to Quaker Chemical Corporation

Depreciation and amortization (s)

Interest expense

Taxes on income before equity in net income of associated companies (t)

EBITDA

Equity income in a captive insurance company (q)

Acquisition-related step-up inventory amortization (a)

Restructuring and related charges, net (b)

Acquisition-related expenses (credits) (c)

Strategic planning expenses (credits) (d)

Gain on inventory and other adjustments (o)

Pension and postretirement benefit costs, non-service components (e)

Executive transition costs (f)

Customer insolvency costs (g)

Currency conversion impacts of hyper-inflationary economies (h)

Impairment charges (i)

Loss on acquisition-related hedges (k)

Gain on sale of assets (l)

Multiemployer plan withdrawal charge (m)

Brazilian non-income tax credits (n)

Other charges (credits) (p)

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA margin (%) (u)

Adjusted EBITDA

Less: Depreciation and amortization - adjusted (s)

Less: Interest expense

Less: Taxes on income (loss) before equity in net income of associated companies - adjusted (r)(t)

Plus: Acquisition-related depreciation and amortization (j)

Non-GAAP net income

Non-GAAP Earnings per Diluted Share Reconciliations

For the years ending December 31,

GAAP earnings per diluted share attributable to Quaker Chemical Corporation common shareholders

Equity income in a captive insurance company (q)

Acquisition-related step-up inventory amortization (a)

Restructuring and related charges, net (b)

Acquisition-related expenses (credits) (c)

Strategic planning expenses (credits) (d)

Pension and postretirement benefit costs, non-service components (e)

Executive transition costs (f)

Customer insolvency costs (g)

Currency conversion impacts of hyper-inflationary economies (h)

Impairment charges (i)

Acquisition-related depreciation and amortization (j)

Loss on acquisition-related hedges (k)

Gain on sale of assets (l)

Multiemployer plan withdrawal charge (m)

Brazilian non-income tax credits (n)

Gain on inventory and other adjustments (o)

Other charges (credits) (p)

Impact of certain discrete tax items (r)

Non-GAAP earnings per diluted share (v)

(a) Acquisition-related step-up inventory amortization represents the amortization of the fair value step-up in Dipsol’s inventories as a result of the acquisition which is recorded within Cost of goods sold in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations. See Note 2, Business Combinations , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

(b) Restructuring and related charges, net represent the costs incurred by the Company associated with the Company’s restructuring program and facility closures. During 2025, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded restructuring and related charges of $35.1 million, $6.5 million and $7.6 million, respectively. See Note 7, Restructuring and Related Activities , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

(c) Acquisition-related expenses (credits) include expense associated with the Company's recent and potential acquisitions, including legal, financial, consulting and other costs. See Note 2, Business Combinations , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

(d) Strategic planning expenses (credits) include certain consultant and advisory expenses for the Company's long-term strategic planning, as well as process optimization and the next phase of the Company's long-term integration to further optimize its footprint, processes and other functions.

(e) Pension and postretirement benefit costs, non-service components represents the pre-tax, non-service components of the Company’s pension and postretirement net periodic benefit cost in each period. See Note 20, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits , and Note 9, Other (expense) income, net, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

(f) Executive transition costs represent the costs related to the Company’s transition of executive officers.

(g) Customer insolvency costs represent charges associated with specific reserves for trade accounts receivable within the Company’s EMEA and America’s reportable segments related to two specific customers that filed for bankruptcy protection.

(h) Currency conversion impacts of hyper-inflationary economies represent the foreign currency remeasurement impacts associated with the Company’s affiliates in Argentina and Türkiye whose local economies are designated as hyper-inflationary under U.S. GAAP. These pre-tax foreign currency remeasurement impacts are not deductible for tax purposes for each of the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 and 2023. The charges incurred related to the immediate recognition of foreign currency remeasurement in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. See Note 1, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

(i) Impairment charges represents the non-cash charge taken to write down the remaining carrying value of goodwill in the EMEA reportable segment during the second quarter of 2025. See Note 15, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

(j) Acquisition-related depreciation and amortization represents amortization expense recorded for definite-lived intangible assets in connection with the Dipsol and Natech acquisitions and depreciation expense recorded in connection with the fair value step-up of Dipsol’s property, plant, and equipment. See Note 2, Business Combinations , and Note 15, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets , for more information.

(k) Loss on acquisition-related hedges represents the mark-to-market and settlement of the foreign exchange forward contracts entered into March 2025 for an aggregate notional amount totaling $155.3 million to hedge the variability of exchange rate impacts between the U.S. Dollar and Japanese yen in connection with the acquisition of Dipsol. See Note 2, Business Combinations , and Note 24, Hedging Activities , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

(l) Gain on sale of assets represents the gain recognized on the sale of certain property previously classified as held for sale and gain on sale of other assets that are not considered core to the Company’s operations. See Note 7, Restructuring and Related Activities , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

(m) Multiemployer plan withdrawal charge represents the expense related to the Company withdrawing from the Cleveland Bakers and Teamsters Pension Fund, a multiemployer defined benefit pension plan, in connection with a site closure under the Company’s restructuring program and facility closure actions. See Note 7, Restructuring and Related Activities , and Note 9, Other (expense) income, net , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

(n) Brazilian non-income tax credits represents indirect tax credits and interest related to the Brazil Supreme Court ruling in regard to certain non-income (indirect) taxes that have been previously charged and paid. See Note 9, Other (expense) income, net , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

(o) Gain on inventory and other adjustments represents immaterial out-of-period adjustments for inventory and other items and is recorded within Cost of goods sold and SG&A in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(p) Other charges (credits) include product liability disputes with customers during the year ended December 31, 2024, an insurance claim settlement receipt related to production losses due to an electrical fire in 2021 that resulted in the temporary shutdown of production at one of the Company’s production facilities during the year ended December 31, 2024, and insurance recoveries received for remediation and restoration of property damage to certain of the Company’s facilities during the year ended December 31, 2023. Other charges (credits) also includes professional fees incurred in connection with tax audits, charges incurred by an inactive subsidiary of the Company as a result of the termination of restrictions on insurance settlement reserves, and other items. See Note 9, Other (expense) income, net, and Note 25, Commitments and Contingencies, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

(q) Equity income in a captive insurance company represents the after-tax income attributable to the Company’s equity interest in Primex, Ltd. (“Primex”), a captive insurance company. The Company holds a 32% investment in and has significant influence over Primex, and therefore accounts for this investment under the equity method of accounting. See Note 16, Investments in Associated Companies , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

(r) The impacts of certain discrete tax items include certain impacts of tax law changes, valuation allowance adjustments, uncertain tax positions, provision to return and other adjustments, and the impact of certain intercompany asset transfers. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the impacts also included $6.7 million of withholding taxes for the repatriation of non-U.S. earnings. See Note 10, Income Taxes , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

(s) Depreciation and amortization includes $0.9 million, $1.0 million and $1.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively, of amortization expense recorded within equity in net income of associated companies in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations, which is attributable to amortization of the fair value purchase accounting step-up in connection with acquisition of the Company’s 50% equity interest in Korea Houghton Corporation.

(t) Taxes on income before equity in net income of associated companies – adjusted presents the impact of any current and deferred income tax expense (benefit), as applicable, of the reconciling items presented in the reconciliation of net income attributable to Quaker Chemical Corporation to adjusted EBITDA and was determined utilizing the applicable rates in the taxing jurisdictions in which these adjustments occurred, subject to deductibility.

(u) The Company calculates adjusted EBITDA margin, non-GAAP operating margin, and non-GAAP gross margin as the percentage of adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP operating income, and non-GAAP gross profit to consolidated net sales.

(v) The Company calculates non-GAAP earnings per diluted share as non-GAAP net income attributable to the Company per weighted average diluted shares outstanding using the “two-class share method” to calculate such in each given period.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Company had approximately $7 million of bank letters of credit and guarantees as of December 31, 2025. The bank letters of credit and guarantees are not significant to the Company’s liquidity or capital resources.

Operations

Consolidated Operations Review – Comparison of 2025 with 2024

The following table summarizes the sales variances by reportable segment and consolidated operations from the prior year:

Sales volumes

Selling price & product mix

Foreign currency

Acquisition & other

Total

Americas

EMEA

Asia/Pacific

Consolidated

Net sales of $1,888.6 million in 2025 increased 3% compared to $1,839.7 million in 2024. The net sales increase of $48.9 million, or 3%, is primarily due to contributions from acquisitions of approximately 4% and favorable foreign currency translation of approximately 1%, partially offset by decreases in selling price and product mix of approximately 2%. Organic sales volumes remained consistent in 2025 compared to 2024, primarily as a result of continued new business wins across all segments, particularly Asia/Pacific, which was offset by a continuation of soft end market conditions including the uncertainty caused by tariffs, particularly in the Americas and EMEA segments. The decrease in selling price and product mix was primarily attributable to the impact of the mix of products, services and geographies and the impact of our index-based customer contracts.

COGS was $1,209.3 million in 2025 compared to $1,153.7 million in 2024. The increase of COGS of $55.6 million, or 5%, reflects an increase in spend on the increase in current year sales volumes and an increase in global raw material costs and manufacturing costs. Additionally, COGS in 2025 includes a $6.0 million amortization of the fair value step-up in Dipsol’s inventories as a result of the Dipsol acquisition, which is partially offset by a $2.9 million gain related to an out-of-period inventory adjustment.

Gross profit was $679.4 million in 2025 compared to $686.0 million in 2024, a decrease of approximately $6.6 million, or 1%, primarily as a result of an increase in the Company’s raw material costs and manufacturing costs, as well as the $6.0 million amortization of the fair value step-up in Dipsol’s inventories as a result of the Dipsol acquisition, partially offset by an increase in net sales and a $2.9 million gain related to an out-of-period inventory adjustment. The Company’s reported gross margin in 2025 was 36.0% compared to 37.3% in 2024.

SG&A was $502.4 million in 2025 compared to $484.8 million in 2024, an increase of $17.6 million, or 4%, primarily driven by an increase in SG&A relating to acquisitions, partially offset by lower incentive compensation.

The Company incurred Restructuring and related charges of $35.1 million and $6.5 million during 2025 and 2024, respectively, related to additional reductions in headcount and facility closure costs under the Company’s restructuring program. See the Non-GAAP Measures section of this Item above and Note 7, Restructuring and Related Activities , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

During the second quarter of 2025, the Company recorded an $88.8 million non-cash impairment charge to write down the remaining value of goodwill associated with the Company’s EMEA reportable segment. This non-cash impairment charge is the result of the Company’s conclusion that the negative impacts of the lower than projected financial performance, driven by the continuation of soft end market conditions, as well as an increase in the Company’s cost of capital, driven by uncertainty around the potential negative impacts of tariffs, represented a triggering event for the Company’s EMEA reporting unit and the associated goodwill, as well as the related asset group. There were no similar impairment charges during 2024. See Note 15, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Operating income in 2025 was $53.0 million compared to $194.7 million in 2024. The decrease in operating income was primarily driven by the $88.8 million non-cash impairment charge and increase in Restructuring and related charges as described above. Excluding non-core items that are not indicative of future operating performance, as detailed above, the Company’s current year non-GAAP operating income was $199.4 million compared to $213.7 million in the prior year. The decrease in non-GAAP operating income was primarily due to lower gross profit and an increase in SG&A primarily relating to acquisitions. See the Non-GAAP Measures section of this Item above for additional details.

The Company had Other expense, net of $1.9 million in 2025 compared to Other income, net of $1.4 million in 2024. 2025 and 2024 both included foreign exchange transaction losses, which were $6.6 million higher in the current year and income from non-income tax credits, which were $0.8 million lower in the current year. 2025 also included a $2.2 million net gain on disposals of property, $2.6 million of interest income and a multiemployer plan withdrawal charge of $0.9 million, whereas 2024 included a $2.0 million expense associated with payments related to customer product liability disputes and a $1.0 million business interruption insurance recovery.

Interest expense of $44.0 million increased $3.0 million in 2025 compared to $41.0 million in 2024, primarily as a result of higher outstanding borrowings, partially offset by decreases in interest rates.

The Company’s effective tax rates for 2025 and 2024 were 350.1% and 31.8%, respectively. The Company’s current year effective tax rate was largely driven by the non-cash goodwill impairment charge described above. The 2025 effective tax rate was also driven by the mix of pre-tax earnings, withholding taxes offset by return to provision adjustments, transition loss carryforwards on branch income and net favorable reductions in uncertain tax positions. The Company’s 2024 effective tax rate was primarily impacted by the mix of pre-tax earnings, certain one-time charges related to an intercompany intangible asset transfer, and withholding taxes, offset by changes in uncertain tax positions and return to provision adjustments. Excluding the impact of all non-core items in each year, described in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this Item above, the Company estimates that the 2025 and 2024 effective tax rates would have been approximately 28% and 29%, respectively. The Company may experience continued volatility in its effective tax rates due to several factors, including the timing of tax audits and the expiration of applicable statutes of limitations as they relate to uncertain tax positions, the unpredictability of the timing and amount of certain incentives in various tax jurisdictions, the tax impacts of acquisition and related integration activities, and the timing and amount of certain share-based compensation-related tax benefits, among other factors. In addition, the FTCs valuation allowance, or absence thereof, is based on a number of variables, including forecasted earnings.

Equity in net income of associated companies was $15.2 million in 2025 compared to $11.0 million in 2024. The increase of $4.2 million was primarily due to higher current year income from the Company’s 50% equity interest in a joint venture in Korea and higher current year income from the Company’s 32% investment in Primex, a captive insurance company.

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest was approximately $0.1 million for both 2025 and 2024.

Consolidated Operations Review – Comparison of 2024 with 2023

The following table summarizes sales variances by segment and consolidated operations from the prior year:

Sales volumes

Selling price & product mix

Foreign currency

Acquisition & other

Total

Americas

EMEA

Asia/Pacific

Consolidated

Net sales of $1,839.7 million in 2024 decreased 6% compared to $1,953.3 million in 2023, primarily due to a decrease in selling price and product mix of approximately 4%, a decrease in sales volumes of approximately 2%, and unfavorable impacts from foreign currency translation of approximately 1%, partially offset by an increase in sales from acquisitions of approximately 1%. The decrease in selling price and product mix was primarily attributable to the impact of our index-based customer contracts and the mix of products and services. The decline in sales volumes was primarily a result of continuation of soft end market conditions compared to the prior year, primarily in the Americas and EMEA segments, partially offset by an increase in sales volumes in the Asia/Pacific segment, continued business wins across all segments and a contribution from acquisitions in the EMEA and Asia/Pacific segments.

Cost of goods sold (“COGS”) were $1,153.7 million in 2024 compared to $1,247.7 million in 2023. The decrease of COGS of $94.0 million, or 8%, reflects lower spend on the decline in 2024 sales volumes and a modest decline in the Company’s global raw material costs.

Gross profit was $686.0 million in 2024 compared to $705.6 million in 2023, a decrease of approximately $19.6 million, or 3%, primarily as a result of the decline in sales mentioned above, partially offset by a modest reduction in the Company’s global raw material costs. The Company’s reported gross margin in 2024 was 37.3% compared to 36.1% in 2023. The Company’s improvement in gross margin was primarily driven by our value-based pricing model and modest improvements in raw material costs.

SG&A was $484.8 million in 2024 compared to $483.6 million in 2023, an increase of $1.2 million, or 0.3%, primarily as a result of higher executive transition costs, higher customer insolvency costs, and SG&A relating to the IKV and Sutai acquisitions, partially offset by lower strategic planning expenses and favorable foreign currency translation compared to the prior year.

The Company incurred Restructuring and related charges of $6.5 million and $7.6 million during 2024 and 2023, respectively, related to reductions in headcount and facility closure costs under the Company’s restructuring program. See the Non-GAAP Measures section of this Item above and Note 7, Restructuring and Related Activities , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Operating income in 2024 was $194.7 million compared to $214.5 million in 2023. Excluding non-core items that are not indicative of future operating performance, as detailed above, the Company’s 2024 non-GAAP operating income was $213.7 million compared to $227.8 million in the prior year. The decrease in non-GAAP operating income was primarily due to lower gross profit, as described above. See the Non-GAAP Measures section of this Item above for additional details.

The Company had Other income, net of $1.4 million in 2024 compared to Other expense, net of $10.7 million in 2023 due to lower foreign exchange losses of $1.8 million in 2024 compared to losses of $14.8 million in the prior year. Additionally, the Company had higher non-income tax refunds of $3.7 million in 2024 compared to non-income tax refunds of $1.3 million in the prior year. Other income, net in 2024 also included a business interruption insurance recovery of $1.0 million, other income of $0.4 million relating to adjustments to the earnout provisions for the Sutai acquisition, and $2.0 million of product liability claim costs. Prior year’s Other expense, net included $2.1 million of facility remediation recoveries, net.

Interest expense of $41.0 million decreased $9.7 million in 2024 compared to $50.7 million in 2023, primarily as a result of lower outstanding borrowings and decreases in interest rates.

The Company’s effective tax rates for 2024 and 2023 were 31.8% and 36.3%, respectively. The Company’s 2024 effective tax rate was primarily impacted by the mix of pre-tax earnings, certain one-time charges related to an intercompany intangible asset transfer, provision to return and other adjustments, and withholding taxes, offset by changes in uncertain tax positions. The Company’s 2023 effective tax rate was primarily impacted by changes to the valuation allowance for and the usage of certain FTCs, withholding taxes and deferred taxes on unremitted earnings, and the mix of pre-tax earnings. Excluding the impact of all non-core items in each year, described in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this Item, above, the Company estimates that the 2024 and 2023 effective tax rates would have been approximately 29% and 28%, respectively. In 2023, the Company recognized $6.7 million of withholding taxes for the repatriation of non-U.S. earnings that the Company does not believe is core or indicative of future performance and has adjusted these withholding taxes as a Non-GAAP measure. The Company may experience continued volatility in its effective tax rates due to several factors, including the timing of tax audits and the expiration of applicable statutes of limitations as they relate to uncertain tax positions, the unpredictability of the timing and amount of certain incentives in various tax jurisdictions, and the timing and amount of certain share-based compensation-related tax benefits, among other factors. In addition, the FTC valuation allowance, or absence thereof, is based on a number of variables, including forecasted earnings, which may vary.

Equity in net income of associated companies was $11.0 million in 2024 compared to $15.3 million in 2023. The decrease of $4.3 million was primarily due to lower 2024 income from the Company’s 50% equity interest in a joint venture in Korea offset by higher 2024 income from the Company’s equity interest in Primex.

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest was approximately $0.1 million for both 2024 and 2023.

Reportable Segments Review - Comparison of 2025 with 2024

The Company’s reportable segments reflect the structure of the Company’s internal organization, the method by which the Company’s resources are allocated and the manner by which the Chief Operating Decision Maker of the Company assesses its performance. The Company has three reportable segments: (i) Americas; (ii) EMEA; and (iii) Asia/Pacific. See Notes 1, 4, 5, and 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

Segment operating earnings for each of the Company’s reportable segments are comprised of the segment’s net sales less directly related product costs and other segment items. Operating expenses not directly attributable to the net sales of each respective segment, such as certain corporate and administrative costs, impairment charges, and restructuring charges, are not included in segment operating earnings. Other items not specifically identified with the Company’s reportable segments include Interest expense and Other (expense) income, net.

Americas

Americas represented approximately 46% of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2025. The segment’s net sales were $865.3 million, a decrease of $16.8 million or 2% compared to 2024. This decrease in net sales was driven by a decline in sales volumes of approximately 2%, a decrease in selling price and product mix of approximately 1% and an unfavorable impact from foreign currency translation of approximately 1%, offset by an increase in sales from the acquisition of Dipsol of approximately 2%. The decline in organic sales volumes was primarily driven by a continuation of soft market conditions and customer order patterns, partially offset by new business wins. The decrease in selling price and product mix was primarily attributable to the impact of the mix of products, services and geographies and the impact of our index-based customer contracts. The unfavorable foreign exchange impact was primarily due to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against the Brazilian real and Mexican peso during 2025 compared to 2024. Segment operating earnings in the Americas were $227.6 million, a decrease of $16.4 million or 7% compared to 2024 primarily driven by lower net sales and lower segment operating margins, primarily due to lower gross margins for the segment.

EMEA

EMEA represented approximately 29% of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2025. The segment’s net sales were $548.1 million, an increase of $11.7 million or 2% compared to 2024. This was a result of an increase in sales from acquisitions of Dipsol, Natech, CSI, and IKV of approximately 3% and a favorable foreign currency translation impact of approximately 4%, primarily due to the weakening of the U.S. dollar against the Euro, partially offset by a decrease in selling price and product mix of approximately 3% and a decrease in organic sales volumes of approximately 2%. The decrease in selling price and product mix was primarily attributable to the impact of the mix of products, services and geographies and the impact of our index-based customer contracts. The decline in sales volumes was primarily driven by softer market conditions, partially offset by continued new business wins. Segment operating earnings in EMEA were $96.6 million, a decrease of $2.8 million or 3% compared to 2024 as an increase in net sales was offset by lower segment operating margins, primarily due to higher SG&A related to acquisitions.

Asia/Pacific

Asia/Pacific represented approximately 25% of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2025. The segment’s net sales were $475.2 million, an increase of $54.1 million or approximately 13% compared to 2024. This was driven by contributions from acquisitions of Dipsol and Sutai of approximately 12% and an increase in organic sales volumes of approximately 5%, partially offset by lower selling price and product mix of approximately 4%. The increase in organic sales volumes was primarily driven by new business wins coupled with a more favorable end market environment compared to the prior year period. The decrease in selling price and product mix was primarily attributable to the impact of the mix of products, services and geographies and the impact of our index-based customer contracts. Segment operating earnings in Asia/Pacific were $124.2 million, an increase of $1.5 million, or 1%, compared to 2024 as an increase in net sales was offset by lower segment operating margins, primarily due to lower gross margins and higher SG&A, primarily related to acquisitions.

Reportable Segments Review – Comparison of 2024 with 2023

Americas

Americas represented approximately 48% of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2024. The segment’s net sales were $882.1 million in 2024, a decrease of $95.0 million or 10% compared to 2023. This was driven by a decline in sales volumes of 5%, a decline in selling price and product mix of 4% and unfavorable foreign currency impacts of 1%. The decline in sales volumes was primarily driven by softer market conditions broadly across the portfolio, partially offset by new business wins. The decline in selling price and product mix was primarily attributable to the impact of our index-based customer contacts and the mix of products and services. The unfavorable foreign exchange impact was primarily due to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against the Mexican peso and Brazilian real. Segment operating earnings in the Americas were $244.0 million in 2024, a decrease of $22.1 million or 8% compared to 2023 primarily driven by the decrease in net sales, partially offset by an improvement in segment operating margins driven by the Company’s margin improvement initiatives.

EMEA

EMEA represented approximately 29% of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2024. The segment’s net sales were $536.4 million in 2024, a decrease of $34.9 million or 6% compared to 2023. This was driven by a decline in sales volumes of 5% and a decline in selling price and product mix of 4%, partially offset by a contribution of sales from the acquisition of IKV of 3%. The decline in sales volumes was driven by the continuation of soft end market conditions in the region, partially offset by new business wins. The decline in selling price and product mix was primarily attributable to the impact of our index-based customer contracts and the mix of products and services. Segment operating earnings in EMEA were $99.4 million in 2024, a decrease of $5.4 million or 5% compared to 2023 primarily driven by the decrease in net sales, partially offset by an improvement in segment operating margins driven by the Company’s margin improvement initiatives.

Asia/Pacific

Asia/Pacific represented approximately 23% of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2024. The segment’s net sales were $421.1 million in 2024, an increase of 4% or approximately $16.2 million compared to 2023. This was driven by an increase in sales volumes of 7%, a contribution of sales from the acquisition of Sutai of 2%, partially offset by a decline in selling price and product mix of 3% and unfavorable impact from foreign currency translation of 2%. The increase in sales volumes was primarily driven by new business wins coupled with a modest improvement in the end market environment. The decline in selling price and product mix was primarily attributable to the impact of our index-based customer contracts and mix of products and services. The unfavorable foreign currency translation was primarily due to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against the Chinese renminbi. Segment operating earnings in Asia/Pacific were $122.7 million in 2024, an increase of $4.3 million, or 4%, compared to 2023 as a result of improvement in net sales, partially offset by a decrease in segment operating margins.

Environmental Clean-up Activities

The Company is involved in environmental clean-up activities in connection with an existing plant location and former waste disposal sites. This includes certain soil and groundwater contamination the Company identified in 1992 at AC Products, Inc. (“ACP”), a wholly owned subsidiary. In voluntary coordination with the Santa Ana California Regional Water Quality Board, ACP has been remediating the contamination, the principal contaminant of which is perchloroethylene (“PERC”). In 2004, the Orange County Water District (“OCWD”) filed a civil complaint against ACP and other parties seeking to recover compensatory and other damages related to the investigation and remediation of the contamination in the groundwater. Pursuant to a settlement agreement with OCWD, ACP agreed, among other things, to operate the two groundwater treatment systems to hydraulically contain groundwater contamination emanating from ACP’s site until the concentrations of PERC released by ACP fell below the current Federal maximum contaminant level for four consecutive quarterly sampling events. In 2014, ACP ceased operation at one of its two groundwater treatment systems, as it had met the above condition for closure. In 2020, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board asked that ACP conduct periodic indoor and outdoor soil vapor testing on and near the ACP site to confirm that ACP continues to meet the applicable local standards. ACP has performed such testing program work with an additional round of testing done in 2025. It is expected that additional testing may occur in 2026. As of December 31, 2025, ACP believes it has met the conditions for closure of the remaining groundwater treatment system but continues to operate this system while in discussions with the relevant authorities.

The Company is also party to other environmental matters related to certain domestic and foreign properties. These environmental matters primarily require the Company to perform ongoing monitoring and maintenance at each of the applicable sites. During the year ended December 31, 2025, there have been no significant changes to the facts or circumstances of these matters. The Company had accrued obligations of $3.4 million and $3.6 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, for these environmental matters. These obligations are included in other accrued liabilities and other non-current liabilities on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. These accrued amounts are inclusive of the Brazilian environmental matter discussed below.

The Company’s Sao Paulo, Brazil site was required under Brazilian environmental, health and safety regulations to perform an environmental assessment as part of a permit renewal process. Initial investigations identified soil and ground water contamination in select areas of the site. The site has conducted a multi-year soil and groundwater investigation and corresponding risk assessments based on the result of the investigations. In 2017, the site had to submit a new 5-year permit renewal request and was asked to complete additional investigations to further delineate the site based on review of the technical data by the local regulatory agency, Companhia Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo (“CETESB”). Based on review of the updated investigation data, CETESB issued a Technical Opinion regarding the investigation and remedial actions taken to date. The site developed an action plan and submitted it to CETESB in 2018 based on CETESB requirements. The site intervention plan primarily requires the site, amongst other actions, to conduct periodic monitoring for methane in soil vapors, source zone delineation, groundwater plume delineation, bedrock aquifer assessment, update the human health risk assessment, develop a current site conceptual model and conduct a remedial feasibility study and provide a revised intervention plan. In 2020, the site submitted a report on the activities completed including the revised site conceptual model and results of the remedial feasibility study and recommended remedial strategy for the site. The site believes it will achieve the remedial objectives in June 2027, at which time a request for closure of the treatment system will be submitted.

The Company believes that it has made adequate accruals for costs associated with other environmental matters of which it is aware. Approximately $0.5 million and $0.6 million were accrued as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, to provide for such anticipated future environmental assessments and remediation costs.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company cannot be certain that future liabilities in the form of remediation expenses and damages will not exceed amounts reserved. See Note 25, Commitments and Contingencies , to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details.

General

See Item 7A of this Report, below, for further discussion of certain quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk.