Item 1A. Risk Factors
Factors That May Affect Future Results
Many risk factors both within and outside of our control could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and on the market price of our common stock. While not an exhaustive list, the following important risk factors could affect our future results, including our actual results for 2025 and thereafter and could also cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements we have made or may make.
Risk Factors Summary
Material risks that may affect our business, operating results and financial condition include, but are not necessarily limited to, those relating to:
• Our technological advantages are unlikely to continue indefinitely;
• Policing our intellectual property and patent rights is costly and may be unsuccessful;
• International geopolitical and other risks associated with our sales and operations outside of the United States, due to political unrest, terrorist acts, and national and international disputes;
• Risks related to our dependence on foreign imports and exports;
• Failure to comply with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA") and other anti-corruption laws or trade control laws, as well as other laws governing our operations;
• The effect of foreign currency exchange rates;
• We could be subject to changes in our tax rates, the adoption of new U.S., or foreign tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities;
• Competition from several established competitors and limited market transparency;
• The availability of credit and changes in interest rates;
• Our failure to comply with the covenants contained in our credit agreements and other debt instruments could result in an event of default that could cause acceleration of our indebtedness;
• Future dividends on our common stock may be restricted or eliminated;
• Risks related to our internal and external expansion plans and asset dispositions;
• The substantial costs related to the integration of Neenah;
• Our failure to realize some or all of the anticipated benefits of the Merger;
• Our failure to recognize the strategic benefits of the EP Divestiture;
• A loss of customers, distributors, suppliers, vendors, landlords, joint venture partners and other business partners as a result of the Merger;
• Our future results may suffer if we do not effectively manage our expanded operations;
• We may not successfully integrate acquisitions into Mativ's operations;
• Our restructuring activities are time-consuming and expensive;
• The cost and availability of raw materials and energy;
• A failure of, or a security breach in, a key information technology system could compromise our information and expose us to liability;
• We rely on a limited number of key employees;
• We face various risks related to public health emergencies and similar health-related outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Our business is subject to various environmental laws, regulations and related litigation that could impose substantial costs or other liabilities on us;
• Environmental, social and governance ("ESG") issues may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, the desirability of our stock, and may damage our reputation;
• Increases in costs of pension benefits may reduce our profitability;
• We are subject to various legal actions and other claims;
• Any loss or interruption of the operations of our facilities;
• Fluctuations in construction and infrastructure spending; and
• We have historically experienced significant cost savings and productivity benefits relating to our ongoing operational excellence program which we may not be able to achieve in the future.
Our technological advantages are unlikely to continue indefinitely.
We consider our intellectual property and patents to be a material asset. We have been at the forefront of developing new products and technology within our industries and have patented many of our innovations. This has enhanced our ability to sell products and to provide added functionality and other value to the products we sell allowing them to command higher margins. This advantage has also enabled us to license certain of our patents and know-how to, and earn royalty income from, third parties. Ultimately, our various patents will expire and some may be held invalid in certain jurisdictions before their expiration dates. In addition to protecting certain of our technological advantages through patenting, we also protect a significant amount of our technological advantages as trade secrets, especially with regard to our FAM segment. As we expand our operations to more locations and countries, the risk of the loss of proprietary trade secrets will increase, and any significant loss would result in the loss of the competitive provided by such trade secrets. While we cannot predict the impact or the timing of these trends and eventualities, they likely will reduce our sales and margins from the levels that we otherwise would have .
Effectively policing our domestic and international intellectual property and patent rights is costly and may not be successful.
Our portfolio of granted patents varies by country, which could have an impact on any competitive advantage provided by patents in individual countries. We cannot guarantee that any U.S. or foreign patent, issued or pending, will provide us with any continued competitive advantage.
We rely on patent, trademark, and other intellectual property laws of the U.S. and other countries to protect our intellectual property rights. However, we cannot guarantee that one or more of our patents will not be challenged by third parties and/or ultimately held invalid by courts or patent agencies of competent jurisdiction.
Further, there can be no assurances that we will be able, or that it will be economic for us, to prevent third parties from using our intellectual property or infringing our patents without our authorization, which may reduce any competitive advantage we have developed. In the event that we need to enforce certain of our patents against infringement through judicial or administrative actions, the litigation to protect these rights is often costly and time consuming and diverts management resources; moreover, there can be no assurance that our efforts to protect our intellectual property will be successful, or that a defendant will not assert counterclaims against us or challenges to other intellectual property we may own.
Some of our patents have been the subject of opposition hearings. Like the actions we undertake to enforce our IP rights, oppositions filed against us in respect of our intellectual property are expensive and divert management time and resources.
Even when the Company is initially successful, there can be no assurance that the counterparty will not appeal, or that the appeal will not be successful. Even when successful at the appeal level, there can be no assurance that a patent will not be later successfully challenged in individual national court jurisdictions.
We do not believe that any of our products infringe the valid intellectual property rights of third parties. However, we may be unaware of intellectual property rights of others that may cover some of our products or services or a court or other governmental body may come to a different conclusion from ours. In that event, we may be subject to significant claims for damages or disruptions to our operations.
Because of the geographic diversity of our business, we are subject to a range of international risks.
Our operations are located in many countries around the world and operate, to a degree, in a decentralized manner. There are inherent control and fraud risks in such a structure. Moreover, we have manufacturing facilities in 11 countries and sell products in over 100 countries, many of which are emerging and undeveloped markets.
As a result, our manufacturing operations, sales and results, depending on their location, are subject to various international business risks, including, but not limited to, the following:
• Foreign countries can impose significant import, export, excise and income tax and other regulatory restrictions on our business, including limitations on repatriation of profits and proceeds of liquidated assets. While we attempt to manage our operations and international movements of cash from and amongst our foreign subsidiaries in a tax-efficient manner, unanticipated international movement of funds due to unexpected changes in our business or changes in tax and associated regulatory schemes could materially affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
• We are exposed to global as well as regional macroeconomic and microeconomic factors, which can affect demand and pricing for our products, including unsettled political and economic conditions; expropriation; import and export tariffs; regulatory controls and restrictions; and inflationary and deflationary economies. Events occurring in countries having a large share of the global economy (such as China, Japan, or the EU) can have an impact on economies that are interdependent and thereby affect those in which the Company primarily operates. These factors together with risks inherent in international operations, including risks associated with any non-compliance with anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
• We have one manufacturing facility in China. Operations in China entail a number of risks including international and domestic political risks, the need to obtain operating and other permits from the government, adverse changes in the policies or in our relations with government-owned or run customers and the uncertainty inherent in operating within an evolving legal and economic system.
• Changes or increases in international trade sanctions or quotas may restrict or prohibit us from transacting business with established customers or securing new ones, including as to Russia and Ukraine, as to which the applicable sanctions have changed unexpectedly on a number of occasions since 2014.
Changes in the laws and regulations described above, adverse interpretations or applications of such laws and regulations, and the outcome of various court and regulatory proceedings, could adversely impact the Company's business in a variety of ways, including increasing expenses, increasing liabilities, decreasing sales, limiting its ability to repatriate funds and generally conduct business, all of which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We are subject to risks related to our dependence on foreign imports and exports.
We conduct business in over 100 countries and operate 34 production locations worldwide. As a result, our business highly depends on global trade, as well as trade and cost factors that impact the specific countries in which we operate. Trade discussions with the United States and its various trading partners are fluid, and existing and future trade agreements are, and are expected to continue to be, subject to a number of uncertainties. For instance, trade actions taken by the U.S. government throughout 2025 have resulted in substantial regulatory uncertainty regarding international trade and trade policy. The U.S. government has proposed the implementation of, or did implement, a number of changes to trade policy, including tariffs on imports to the United States from a large number of countries, including baseline tariffs and additional individuals reciprocal tariffs on certain countries with whom the United States has trade deficits. The U.S. government has also raised the possibility of other initiatives that may affect international trade, including renegotiation of trade agreements with other countries and the possible introduction of other import duties or tariffs. Many of our raw materials imports are subject to existing duties, tariffs and quotas. The implementation of tariffs or border taxes has increased our cost of goods sold, which in turn impacted our pricing and our financial performance. The imposition of additional duties, tariffs and quotas could exacerbate this trend. Furthermore, certain of our competitors may be positioned than us to withstand or react to these , and as a result we may market share to such competitors. Due to broad uncertainty regarding the timing, content and extent of any regulatory changes in the U.S. or abroad, we cannot predict the impact, if any, that these changes could have to our business. If further tariffs are imposed on a broader range of imports, or if further trade measures are taken by other countries in response to additional tariffs, we may be required to raise our prices or incur additional expenses, which may result in the of customers and our operating performance, sales and earnings.
We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption laws or trade control laws, as well as other laws governing our operations. If we fail to comply with these laws, we could be subject to civil or criminal penalties, other remedial measures, and legal expenses, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to anti-corruption laws, including the FCPA, and other anti-corruption laws that apply in countries where we do business. The FCPA, the U.K. Bribery Act of 2010 and other similar laws generally prohibit us, our employees, consultants and agents from bribing, being bribed or making other prohibited payments to government officials or other persons to obtain or retain business or gain some other business advantage. We operate in a number of jurisdictions that pose a high risk of potential FCPA violations, and we participate in joint ventures and relationships with third parties whose actions could potentially subject us to liability under the FCPA or local anti-corruption laws. In addition, we cannot predict the nature, scope or effect of future regulatory requirements to which our international operations might be subject or the manner in which existing laws might be administered or interpreted.
We are also subject to other laws and regulations governing our international operations, including regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control, and various non-U.S. government entities, including applicable export control regulations, economic sanctions on countries and persons, customs requirements, currency exchange regulations and transfer pricing regulations, or collectively, Trade Control laws. There is no assurance that we will be completely effective in ensuring our compliance with all applicable anti-corruption laws, including the FCPA or other legal requirements, including Trade Control laws. If we are not in compliance with such laws or requirements, we may be subject to criminal and civil penalties, disgorgement and other sanctions and remedial measures, and legal expenses, which could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. Likewise, any investigation of any potential violations of the FCPA, other anti-corruption laws or Trade Control laws by U.S. or foreign authorities could also have an impact on our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.
Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates could adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
A significant portion of our revenues are generated from operations outside the U.S. In addition, we maintain significant operations and acquire or manufacture many of our products outside the U.S. The functional currency of our international subsidiaries is generally the local currency in which each subsidiary operates. In particular, a large portion of our commercial business is denominated in euros and British Pounds. Since our consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars, we must translate revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities from functional currencies into U.S. dollars. As a result, our future revenues, costs, results of operations and earnings could be significantly affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, especially the euro to U.S. dollar exchange rate and the British pounds to U.S. dollar exchange rate.
In addition, some of our sale and purchase transactions are denominated in a currency other than the local currency of our operations. As a result, changes in exchange rates between the currencies in which the transaction is denominated versus the local currency of our operations into which the transaction is being recorded can impact the amount of local currency recorded for such transaction. This can result in more or less local currency revenue or cost related to such transaction and thus have an effect on our operating profit. We also hold a significant amount of our cash balances in euros and British pounds, thus any weakening of these currencies versus the U.S. dollar would reduce the amount of U.S. dollars for which such balances could be exchanged.
Changes in foreign currency exchange rates also impact the amount reported in Other income (expense), net. For instance, when a non-local currency receivable or payable is not settled in the period in which it is incurred, we are required to record a gain or loss, as applicable, to reflect the impact of any change in the exchange rate as of the end of the period. We also have to reflect the translation rate impact on the carrying value of our foreign assets and liabilities as of the end of each period, which is recorded as unrealized translation adjustment in Other comprehensive income (loss).
We utilize a variety of practices to manage this risk, including operating and financing activities and, where considered appropriate, derivative instruments. All derivative instruments we use are either exchange traded or entered into with major financial institutions in order to reduce credit risk and risk of nonperformance by third parties. Counterparty risk cannot be eliminated and there can be no assurance that our efforts will be successful. We generally hedge foreign currency transaction risk through the use of derivative instruments, including forward and swap contracts and, to a lesser extent, option contracts. The use of derivative instruments is intended to mitigate or reduce transactional level volatility in the results of foreign operations but does not completely eliminate volatility. If our future revenues, costs and results of operations are significantly affected by economic conditions abroad and/or we are unable to effectively hedge these risks, they could materially adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
The Company could be subject to changes in its tax rates, the adoption of new U.S., or foreign tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities.
The Company is subject to taxes in the U.S. and in foreign jurisdictions where a number of the Company’s subsidiaries are organized. The Company’s future effective tax rate could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates or future changes in tax laws or new interpretations of existing tax laws. Recent developments, such as the European Commission’s investigations on illegal state aid, individual European countries implementation of Anti-Tax Avoidance Directives, continued regulatory development of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development projects on base erosion and profit shifting may result in changes to long-standing tax principles or new challenges to our cross-border arrangements, which could materially affect our effective tax rate or could require potential restructuring of the foreign subsidiaries. If the Company’s effective tax rates were to increase, or if any ultimate determination of the Company’s taxes owed is for an amount in excess of amounts previously accrued, the Company’s operating results, cash flows, and financial condition could be affected.
In particular, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”) has reached agreement on an approach to establish a minimum global tax, set at 15%, for large multi-national enterprises, such as the Company. The OECD has recommended that certain aspects of this approach, referred to as “Pillar Two”, be made effective beginning in 2024, and many jurisdictions relevant to the Company, including most European Member States, have already legislated Pillar Two into their statutory law in varying degrees and others are in the process of doing so. Pillar Two has introduced new complexity and uncertainty to the Company’s assessment of its taxes and further interpretation, adoption, and implementation of Pillar Two measures will continue to introduce new challenges with respect to compliance with its reporting requirements and may impact the Company’s effective tax rate and cash tax payments in future years. Further, uncertainty exists as to whether the adoption of Pillar Two in certain jurisdictions may result in reactions in other countries that are meaningful to the Company’s overall tax profile, notably, the United States. Therefore, the Company continues to monitor for updates as countries within its global footprint announce Pillar Two legislation and related announcements, policies, and/or guidance.
If the Company’s effective tax rates were to increase, or if any ultimate determination of the Company’s taxes owed is for an amount in excess of amounts previously accrued, the Company’s operating results, cash flows, and financial condition could be adversely affected.
We face competition from several established competitors and we have limited market transparency.
Our FAM segment products compete to some degree against specialty products made by competitors such as Shaoxing Naite Plastics Co. Ltd., 3M Company, Covestro AG, ORAFOL Europe GmbH, Hollingsworth and Vose Company, Advanced Medical Solutions Group plc, and Ahlstrom Holding 3 Oy. We believe our FAM products compete primarily on product features, innovations and customer service. Some of these competitors are larger than we are and have more resources, thus the actions of these competitors could have an impact on the results of our FAM segment operations.
We are starting to see increased competition for some of our FAM products from companies in China, which, we believe, may have lower operating costs than us, resulting in a potential price advantage for such companies. As a result of these competitive advantages, our competitors and potential competitors may be able to respond more quickly to market forces, take advantage of acquisitions or other opportunities more readily, undertake more extensive marketing campaigns for their brands, products and services, more successfully utilize developing technology, including data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, and make more attractive offers to our existing and potential customers.
We are dependent upon the availability of credit, and changes in interest rates can impact our business.
We supplement operating cash flow with bank borrowings under a secured credit agreement with a syndicate of banks. Borrowings under this agreement will mature in 2027 and 2028. To date, we have been able to access credit when needed and on commercially reasonable terms. However, deterioration of credit markets, including an economic crisis in the U.S. or elsewhere, whether or not caused by the U.S. or European debt ceiling, deficits and budget issues, could have an adverse impact on our ability to negotiate new credit facilities or access or renew our existing one. Constraints on the availability of credit, or the unavailability of credit at reasonable interest rates, would negatively impact our business, including potentially impairing our ability to declare dividends, conduct share buy-backs and make acquisitions.
Our secured credit facility contains certain financial covenants. In the event of material unforeseen events that impact our financial performance, particularly during a time when we have material amounts of debt, a situation could arise where we are unable to fully draw from our existing credit facility notwithstanding that there is otherwise available capacity.
Our credit facilities are secured by substantially all of the personal property of the Company and its domestic subsidiaries. In the event of a default on these agreements, substantially all of the assets of the Company could be subject to foreclosure or liquidation by the secured creditors.
We may utilize a combination of variable and fixed-rate debt consisting of short-term and long-term instruments. We selectively hedge our exposure to interest rate increases on our variable rate long-term debt when we believe that it is practical to do so. We have utilized various forms of interest rate hedge agreements, including interest rate swap agreements, forward rate agreements and cross currency swaps. There are inherent risks associated with interest rate hedges, including those associated with the movement of interest rates, counterparty risk and unexpected need to refinance debt, thus there can be no certainty that our hedging activities will be successful or fully protect us from interest rate exposure. As of December 31, 2025, the percentage of the Company’s fixed and floating interest rate debt was 39.0% and 61.0%, respectively. The Company has entered into a number of interest rate hedge transactions to convert floating rate debt to fixed. Including the impact of these transactions, as of December 31, 2025, the percentage of the Company’s debt subject to fixed and floating rates of interest was 86.0% and 14.0%, respectively.
Our use of interest rate hedge agreements to manage risk associated with interest rate volatility may expose us to additional risks, including the risk that a counterparty to a hedge agreement may fail to honor its obligations. Developing an effective interest rate risk strategy is complex and no strategy can completely insulate us from risks associated with interest rate fluctuations. There can be no assurance that our hedging activities will have the desired beneficial impact on our results of operations or financial condition. Termination of interest rate hedge agreements typically involves costs, such as transaction fees or breakage costs.
Our failure to comply with the covenants contained in our credit agreements and other debt instruments could result in an event of default that could cause acceleration of our indebtedness.
Our failure to comply with the covenants and other requirements contained in our credit agreements or our other debt instruments could cause an event of default under the relevant debt instrument. The occurrence of an event of default could trigger a default under our other debt instruments, prohibit us from accessing additional borrowings and permit the holders of the defaulted debt to declare amounts outstanding with respect to that debt to be immediately due and payable. Our assets or cash flows may not be sufficient to fully repay borrowings under our outstanding debt instruments, and we may be unable to refinance or restructure the payments on indebtedness on favorable terms, or at all.
Future dividends on our common stock may be restricted or eliminated.
Dividends are declared at the discretion of our Board of Directors, and future dividends will depend on our future earnings, cash flow, financial requirements and other factors. Our ability to pay cash dividends on our common stock may be limited under the terms of our credit agreements or other debt instruments. There can be no assurance that we will continue to pay dividends in the future.
Our internal and external expansion plans and asset dispositions entail different and additional risks relative to the rest of our business.
From time to time, we consider acquisitions in connection with our diversification initiatives. This acquisition activity could involve confidential negotiations that are not publicly announced unless and until those negotiations result in a definitive agreement. It is possible that an acquisition could adversely impact our results, credit ratings or the outlook of our business, due to, among other things, integration and employee retention challenges, contrasting company cultures and different information technology and reporting systems. Also, acquisition opportunities are limited and present risks of failing to achieve strategic objectives, smooth integrations or anticipated synergies or returns. There can be no assurance that we will be able to acquire attractive businesses on favorable terms and that we will realize the anticipated benefits or profits through acquisitions or that acquisitions will be accretive to our earnings. Changes in our portfolio of businesses, assets and products, whether through acquisition, disposition or
internal growth, present additional risks, including causing us to incur unknown or new types of liabilities, subjecting us to new regulatory frameworks and new market risks, and acquiring operations in new geographic regions with challenging labor, regulatory and tax regimes.
Our ability to dispose of idled assets and the value that may be obtained relative to their book value can result in significant impairment charges. Building a new plant or other facility or relocating, rebuilding or otherwise modifying existing production machinery is a major undertaking and entails a number of risks, including the possibility that the contractors and sub-contractors who are expected to build the facility or rebuild the machine and supply the necessary equipment do not perform as expected, the possibility of cost overruns and delays, or that design defects or omissions cause the facility or machine to perform at less than projected efficiency or at less than projected capacity. In addition, commencement of production at a new site or at a rebuilt or relocated machine is time consuming and requires testing and acceptance by customers and potentially by regulators, of the facility and the products that are produced. Also, while we anticipate sufficient demand for the facility's or machine's output, there can be no assurances that the expected demand will materialize.
We also expect to continue to expend resources to diversify and expand our product portfolio. Research and development and product diversification have inherent risks, including technical success, market acceptance, new regulations and potential liabilities. We cannot guarantee that such efforts will succeed, that we will not incur new or different liabilities or that we will achieve a satisfactory return on such expenditures.
Divestitures or other dispositions could negatively impact our business, and contingent liabilities from businesses that we have sold or will sell could adversely affect our financial statements.
We continually assess the strategic fit of our existing businesses and may divest, spin-off, split-off or otherwise dispose of businesses that are deemed not to fit with our strategic plan or are not achieving the desired return on investment. For example, on November 30, 2023, the Company completed the EP Divestiture. Transactions such as the EP Divestiture pose risks and challenges that could negatively impact our business and financial statements. Furthermore, when we decide to sell assets or a business, we may encounter difficulty in finding buyers or alternative exit strategies on acceptable terms in a timely manner, which could delay the achievement of our strategic objectives. We may also dispose of a business at a price or on terms that are different than current balance sheet values, which could result in significant asset charges, including those related to goodwill and other intangible assets that could have a material effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we may experience dis-synergies than expected, the impact of the on our revenue may be larger than projected, and some may be dilutive to earnings. There can be no assurance whether the strategic benefits and expected financial impact of any , including the EP , will be . We cannot you that we will be in managing these or any other significant risks that we encounter in a business or product line, and any we undertake could materially and affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Impairment of goodwill has negatively impacted our results of operations. If goodwill is further or fully impaired in the future, our results of operations will be negatively impacted further.
We evaluate goodwill for impairment at least annually during the fourth quarter or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that an evaluation should be completed. The impairment test is based on several factors, estimates and assumptions, including macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, overall financial performance, market capitalization and other relevant events. Significant changes to these factors could impact the assumptions used in calculating the fair value of goodwill or intangible assets and may indicate potential impairment. As described in Note 9. Goodwill, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, during the first quarter of 2025, primarily in response to a sustained decline in the Company's share price, an interim quantitative goodwill impairment test was performed, which resulted in a goodwill impairment charge of $411.9 million. In the fourth quarter of 2025, we completed our annual goodwill assessment and no additional impairment charge was recognized as of December 31, 2025. We will continue to conduct impairment analyses of our goodwill on an annual basis, as well as whenever there are events or changes in circumstances which indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. We could be required to record additional charges in the future if any recoverability
assessments reflect estimated fair values that are less than the carrying values. Further impairments of our goodwill could adversely affect our results of operations.
We may not successfully integrate acquisitions into Mativ's operations and we may be unable to achieve anticipated cost savings or other synergies.
The integration of the operations of acquired companies involves a number of risks and presents financial, managerial, reporting, legal and operational challenges. We may have difficulty, and may incur unanticipated expenses related to, integrating information systems, financial reporting activities, employee retention and integrating and retaining management and personnel from acquired companies. Among these risks are potential loss of consumer awareness and demand for the acquired companies’ products based on the rebranding of those products under the Company’s legacy brand names. Additionally, we may not be able to achieve anticipated cost savings or commercial or growth synergies for a number of reasons, including contractual constraints and obligations or an inability to take advantage of expected commercial opportunities, inability to achieve increased operating efficiencies or commercial expansion of key technologies. to integrate acquired companies into Mativ's operations may have an effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Our restructuring activities are time-consuming and expensive and could significantly disrupt our business.
We have initiated significant restructuring activities in recent years that have become part of an overall effort to improve an imbalance between demand for our products and our production capacity as well as improve our profitability and the quality of our products. Restructuring of our existing operations, or as a result of acquisitions, dispositions or mergers, involves issues that are complex, time-consuming and expensive and could significantly disrupt our business as well as garner review from regulatory authorities which could result in financial impacts to the Company. The challenges involved in executing the actions that are part of our ongoing and, potentially future, restructuring plans include:
• demonstrating to customers that the restructuring activities will not result in adverse changes in service standards or business focus;
• consolidating administrative infrastructure and manufacturing operations while maintaining adequate controls throughout the execution of the restructuring;
• preserving distribution, sales and other important relationships and resolving potential conflicts that may arise;
• estimating, managing and minimizing the cost of the restructuring activities;
• minimizing the diversion of management attention from ongoing business activities;
• maintaining employee morale, retaining key employees, maintaining reasonable collective bargaining agreements and avoiding strikes, work stoppages or other forms of labor unrest while implementing restructuring programs that often include reductions in the workforce;
• securing government approval of such plans, where necessary, and managing the litigation and associated liabilities that often are associated with restructuring actions;
• incurring costs associated with delays in restructuring activities caused by labor negotiations and/or governmental approvals;
• coordinating and combining operations, which may be subject to additional constraints imposed by collective bargaining agreements and local laws and regulations; and
• achieving the anticipated levels of net cost savings and efficiency, or doing so on the timelines originally projected, as a result of the restructuring activities.
Our financial performance can be significantly impacted by the cost and availability of raw materials and energy and we may have limited ability to pass through increases in costs to our customers.
Raw materials are a significant component of the cost of the products that we manufacture. The cost of wood pulp, which is the largest component of the raw materials that we use in our SAS segment, and some resins used by our
FAM segment are highly cyclical and can be more volatile than general consumer or producer inflationary changes in the general economy. Likewise, the cost of polypropylene can fluctuate significantly based on a number of factors, including as a result of changes in global oil markets and broader economic conditions. As we periodically enter into agreements with customers under which we agree to supply products at fixed prices, unanticipated increases in the costs of raw materials, or the lack of availability of such raw materials (due to force majeure or other reasons), can significantly impact our financial performance. Even where we do not have fixed-price agreements, we may be limited in our ability to pass through increases in raw material costs in a timely manner or may be unable to pass through increases to our customers in whole or in part. Further, some of the resins we use in our FAM segment are only available from a single supplier, or a limited number of suppliers. Consequently, such supplier(s) can control the availability and thus the cost of the resins we use, notwithstanding any changes in the cost of oil or the impact of broader economic conditions. It can be time consuming and costly, and occasionally , to find replacement resins where such suppliers limit the availability or increase the cost of resins we use.
Our manufacturing operations, in particular paper manufacturing, is energy-intensive. In the U.K., the European Union, China and the U.S., availability of energy generally is reliable, although prices can fluctuate significantly based on supply and demand. Western Europe has become significantly dependent on energy supplies from the Commonwealth of Independent States, which in the past has demonstrated a willingness to restrict or cut off supplies of energy to certain customers. The volume of oil or gas flowing through pipeline systems that ultimately connect to Western Europe also has been cut off or restricted in the past, and such actions can adversely impact the supply of energy to Western Europe and, consequently, the cost and availability of electricity to our European operations. Due to the competitive pricing of most of our products, we typically are unable to fully pass through higher energy costs to our customers. Periodically, when we believe it is advantageous to do so, we enter into agreements to procure a portion of our energy for future periods in order to reduce the uncertainty of future energy costs. However, in recent years this has only marginally slowed the increase in energy costs due to the volatile changes in energy prices we have experienced.
A failure of, or a security breach in, a key information technology system or process or other unusual events could compromise our information and expose us to liability, which could adversely affect our business; IT project delays and overruns are possible.
We rely extensively on information technology systems, some of which are managed by third-party service providers, to analyze, process and manage transactions and sensitive data, including intellectual property, our proprietary business information and that of our customers, suppliers and business partners, and personally identifiable information of our employees. The secure processing and maintenance of this information is critical to our operations and business strategy and we rely heavily on the integrity of this data in managing our business. Insider or employee cyber and security threats are increasingly a concern for all companies, including ours. In addition, social engineering and phishing are a particular concern. We are continuously working to install new, and to upgrade our existing, information technology systems and to provide employee awareness training around phishing, malware and other cyber risks to ensure that we are protected, to the greatest extent possible, against cyber risks and security breaches.
Despite our security measures, our information technology and infrastructure may be vulnerable to attacks by hackers or be breached due to employee or third-party error, malfeasance or other disruptions. We have in the past, and may again in the future be subject to similar cyber-attacks or other disruptions. Any such breach could compromise our networks and the information stored there could be accessed, publicly disclosed, lost or stolen. Any such access, disclosure or other loss of information could result in legal claims, proceedings, or regulatory penalties, including penalties under EU privacy laws, and could disrupt our operations. Although we are insured cyber risks and security up to an annual aggregate limit, our liability insurance may be and may not fully cover the costs of any claim or any we might be required to pay, and we may not be to obtain adequate liability insurance in the future on commercially or reasonable terms or at all.
The Company is subject to laws of various countries where it operates or does business related to solicitation, collection, processing, transferring, storing or use of consumer, customer, vendor or employee information or related data, including the GDPR which went into effect in May 2018, the CCPA, which went into effect on January 1,
2020, and various U.S. state level privacy regulations. The changes introduced by these regulations and laws increase the complexity of regulations enacted to protect business and personal data, subject the Company to additional costs and have required, and may in the future require, costly changes to the Company’s security systems, policies, procedures and practices.
There are further risks associated with the information systems of companies we acquire, both in terms of systems compatibility, level of security and functionality. It may cost us significant money and resources to address these risks and we may fail to address them successfully, adversely impacting our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
From time to time, we undertake significant information technology systems projects, including enterprise resource planning updates, modifications and roll-outs. These projects are subject to cost overruns and delays. Not only could these cost overruns and delays impact our financial statements but a delay in the completion of a needed IT project could adversely impact our ability to run our business and make fully informed decisions.
The introduction of artificial intelligence (“AI”) may present risks to our business.
We are in the early stages of adopting artificial intelligence (“AI”) in certain areas of our operations. Our increasing use of, or reliance on, AI, machine learning, and other advanced automation technologies could present risks to our business and may expose the Company to additional cybersecurity, data privacy, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance risks, particularly where AI systems depend on third‑party vendors, cloud‑based platforms, or external data sources. In addition, laws and regulations governing the development and use of AI are evolving and may impose additional compliance obligations or restrict certain applications.
We rely on a limited number of key employees and our failure to recruit and/or retain senior management and key employees globally could harm our business.
The loss of any of our key employees, including our CEO and his direct reports, could adversely affect our business and thus our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Hiring executives with needed skills or the replacement of one or more of our executive officers or other key employees would likely involve significant time and costs and may significantly delay or prevent the achievement of our business objectives. In addition, competition for qualified talent in our industry is intense, particularly in the last several years. The market to build, retain and replace talent has become even more highly competitive, and many of the companies with which we compete for personnel have greater financial and other resources than we do.
Any failure to recruit and/or retain senior management and key employees could harm our business, operating results and financial condition. Additionally, efforts to recruit such employees could be costly and negatively impact our operating expenses. We issue equity awards from employee equity plans as a key component of our overall compensation. We face pressure to limit the use of such equity-based compensation due to dilutive effects on stockholders. If we are unable to offer attractive compensation packages in the future, it could limit our ability to attract and retain key employees.
Public health emergencies or outbreaks of epidemics, pandemics, or contagious diseases have adversely affected, and could in the future, adversely affect our business and the business of our customers and suppliers.
We are subject to public health emergencies, which has had and may continue to have an impact on our business and the business of our customers and suppliers. Uncertainty caused by pandemics, epidemics, or similar public health emergencies or outbreaks could lead to prolonged economic downturns, and negatively impact our partners and the industry in which we operate, in which case our revenues could be significantly impacted. The extent to which public health crisis impacts our business, results of operations, and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
Our business depends upon good relations with our employees. Work stoppages, slowdowns or legal action by our unionized employees may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We employ approximately 5,000 employees, including certain manufacturing employees represented by unions. Although we believe that employee and union relations are generally positive, there is no assurance that this will continue in the future and problems or changes affecting employees in certain locations may affect relations with our employees at other locations. The risk of labor disputes, work stoppages or other disruptions in production could adversely affect us, especially in conjunction with potential restructuring activities. If we cannot successfully negotiate or renegotiate collective bargaining agreements, or if negotiations take an excessive amount of time, there may be a heightened risk of work stoppages and we may be unable to achieve planned operational efficiencies. Work may be caused by the of national unions and the governments of countries in which we operate from reaching agreement and are outside of our control. Any work or to reach agreements with our unions could have a material effect on our customer relations, our productivity, the of a manufacturing facility, our ability to develop new products and on our operations as a whole, resulting in an impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our business is subject to various environmental laws, regulations and related litigation that could impose substantial costs or other liabilities on us.
Our facilities are subject to significant federal, state, local and foreign environmental protection laws with respect to air, water and emissions as well as the disposal of solid waste. We believe that we are operating in substantial compliance with these laws and regularly incur capital and operating expenditures in order to achieve future compliance. However, these laws may change, which could require changes in our practices, additional capital expenditures or loss of carbon credits, and we may discover aspects of our business that are not in compliance. Violation of these laws can result in the imposition of significant fines and remediation costs.
Additionally, in recent years, assessments of the potential impacts of climate change have begun to influence governmental authorities, consumer behavior patterns and the general business environment of the European Union and the United States. The implementation of these policies may require us to invest additional capital in our properties or it may restrict the availability of land we are able to develop. For example, the State of California has adopted new climate change disclosure requirements which mandate public disclosure of certain greenhouse gas emissions data and climate-related financial risk reports. Similarly, while currently subject to a stay pending judicial review, the SEC has adopted extensive climate-related reporting requirements. The European Union has also established similar regulations, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”), and the European Union Deforestation Regulations (“EUDR”). The CSRD establishes extensive ESG-related disclosure requirements based on the European Sustainability Reporting Standards, including certain assurance obligations. The EUDR places limitations on the sale in the European Union of products linked to deforestation or the degradation of forests, and requires companies to implement due diligence systems to verify covered commodities and related products were not produced on deforested land. The standards used to identify and collect the information and data required pursuant to these emerging regulations are still developing and uncertain, which could result in increased costs related to complying with applicable reporting obligations under these standards, and could increase the risk of to comply. These changes, or other changes in other environmental laws, regulations, standards or the interpretation thereof, new enforcement of laws, the identification of new facts or the of other parties to perform remediation at our current or former facilities could be and lead to new or liabilities that could materially affect our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.
Although we are not aware of any environmental conditions at any of our facilities that could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, we own facilities that have been operated over the course of many decades. Should the Company make material changes in the operations at a facility it is possible such changes could generate environmental obligations that might require remediation or other action, the nature, extent and cost of which are not presently known. We may also face higher disposal and clean-up costs to replace equipment or facilities containing materials that were compliant when installed but are now considered contaminants. Additionally, as we sell closed or other facilities or materially alter operations at a facility, we may be
required to perform additional environmental evaluations that could identify items that might require remediation or other action, the nature, extent and cost of which are not presently known. We may also incur environmental liabilities in connection with assets or businesses we may purchase in the future.
ESG issues may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, the desirability of our stock, and may damage our reputation.
Companies across all industries are facing increasing scrutiny relating to their ESG policies. If we are unable to meet our ESG goals or evolving investor, industry, or stakeholder expectations and standards, or if we are perceived to have not responded appropriately to the growing concern for ESG issues, customers and consumers may choose to stop purchasing our products or purchase products from another company or a competitor, and our reputation, the desirability of our stock to investors, and our business or financial condition may be adversely affected. Increased focus and activism on ESG topics may hinder our access to capital, as investors may reconsider their capital investment as a result of their assessment of our ESG practices. In particular, these constituencies are increasingly focusing on environmental issues, including climate change, water use, deforestation, waste, and other sustainability concerns. These demands could cause us to incur additional costs or to make changes to our operations to comply with such demands. In addition to environmental issues, these constituencies are also focused on social and other governance issues, including matters such as, but not limited to, human capital and social issues. Any failure to our ESG goals or a perception (whether or not valid) of our to act responsibly with respect to the environmental, human capital, or social issues, or to effectively respond to new, or changes in, legal or regulatory requirements concerning environmental or other ESG matters, or increased operating or manufacturing costs due to increased regulation or environmental causes could affect our business and reputation and increase risk of .
Increases in costs of pension benefits may reduce our profitability and could impact our cash reserves.
Our results of operations may be negatively affected by expenses we record for our defined benefit pension plans. Generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S., require that we calculate income or expense for the plans using actuarial valuations. These valuations reflect assumptions about financial markets, longevity of our current and former employees and other economic conditions, which may change based on changes in key economic indicators and mortality tables. We are required to make an annual measurement of plan assets and liabilities, which may result in increased funding obligations or negative changes in our stockholders' equity. At the end of 2025, the combined projected benefit obligation of our pension plans had a net underfunding of $15.0 million. The Company has both funded and unfunded pension plans and we make contributions to our pension trusts (where applicable) based on many factors, including regulatory guidelines, investment returns of the trusts, and availability of cash for pension contributions versus other priorities. For a discussion regarding our pension obligations, refer to Note 16. Postretirement and Other Benefits of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 and "Other Factors Affecting Liquidity and Capital Resources" in Part II, Item 7. Although expense and pension funding contributions are not directly related, key economic factors that affect expense would also likely affect the amount of cash we would contribute to pension plans as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA") for U.S. plans. to expected returns on plan assets driven by various factors, which could include a continued environment of low interest rates or sustained market , could also result in an increase to the amount of cash we would be required to contribute to pension plans.
We are subject to various legal actions and other claims.
We regularly are involved in legal actions and other claims arising in the ordinary course of business and otherwise. We are also subject to many laws and regulations around the world. Despite our efforts, we cannot guarantee that we are in compliance with every such law or regulation. Although we do not believe that any of the currently pending actions or claims against us will have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, we cannot provide any assurances in this regard. Information concerning some of these actions that currently are pending is contained in Note 18. Commitments and Contingencies, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and in Part I, Item 3, “Legal Proceedings” of this report. We also cannot give any assurances as to any litigation that might be filed against us in the future.
Any loss or interruption of the operations of our facilities may harm our operating performance.
Our revenues depend on the effective operation of our manufacturing facilities. The operation of our facilities involves risks, including the breakdown, failure, or substandard performance of equipment, power outages, the improper installation or operation of equipment, explosions, fires, natural disasters, failure to achieve or maintain safety or quality standards, work stoppages, supply or logistical outages, and the need to comply with environmental and other directives of governmental agencies. Moreover, natural disasters, political crises, public health crises or other unforeseen catastrophic events in any of the countries in which we operate may impact our facilities, our supply chain or customers. If we experience supply , we may not be to develop alternate sourcing quickly. Any of our production schedule caused by an of components, raw materials or parts even for a relatively short period of time could cause us to alter production schedules or production entirely, which would affect our business and results of operations. The occurrence of material operational , including, but not limited to, the above events, could cause the or of operations for a significant length of time, which could have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
In addition, many of our operations require a reliable and abundant supply of water. Production facilities for our segments rely on a local water body or water source for their water needs and, therefore, are particularly sensitive to drought conditions or other natural or man-made interruptions to water supplies. At various times and for differing periods, we have had to modify operations at certain of our mills due to water shortages, water clarity, or low flow conditions in its principal water supplies. Any interruption or curtailment of operations at any of our production facilities due to drought or low flow conditions at the principal water source or another cause could materially and adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.
Fluctuations in construction and infrastructure spending can impact demand for certain of our products.
Demand for certain of our products depends on spending in the construction industry, both residential and non-residential, as well as infrastructure sectors. Spending in those sectors is impacted by numerous circumstances beyond our control including, but not limited to, interest rates, availability of financing, housing inventory, capital spending, corporate investment, local, federal and state regulations, as well as availability and commitment of public funds for municipal spending, capacity utilization and general economic conditions. Decreased spending in any of these sectors could have an adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows during the duration of their down cycle.
Historically, we have experienced significant cost savings and productivity benefits relating to our ongoing operational excellence program; however, these benefits may not continue indefinitely or at the same levels.
Historically, we have experienced significant cost savings and productivity benefits relating to our ongoing continuous improvement and operational excellence programs. We expect to continue to achieve significant savings and benefits from these efforts; however, we may be unable to continue in the future to obtain savings and benefits in line with historical achievements, and our profitability and financial results could be adversely affected.
Our foreign sales and operations may be adversely affected by supply chain disruptions due to political unrest, terrorist acts, and national and international dispute.
We conduct a portion of our sales and manufacturing outside the United States. Our foreign sales and operations are subject to a number of risks, including political and economic instability, which could have a material adverse impact on our ability to increase or maintain our international sales and operations. National and international disputes such as war, border closures, civil disturbances and terrorist acts, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East may increase the likelihood of already strained supply interruptions and further hinder our ability to access the materials and energy we need to manufacture our products. Additional supply chain disruptions will make it harder for us to find favorable pricing and reliable sources for the materials and energy we need. As a result, such disruptions will put upward pressure on our costs and increase the risk that we
may be unable to acquire the materials and energy we need to continue to make certain products, in particular at our manufacturing facilities in Europe.
