$GBX Risk Factor changes from 00/10/25/23/2023 to 00/10/24/24/2024

Item 1A. These risks do not identify all risks that we face; other factors, events, or uncertainties currently unknown to us or that we currently do not consider to present significant risks to our business or that emerge in the future could affect us adversely. Risks Related to Our Business An economic downturn and economic uncertainty may adversely affect demand for our products and services. Our customers are often able to delay replacing rail equipment during economic downturns. Factors affecting the level of customer spending for our products and services include general economic conditions, such as inflation, and other factors such as business confidence in future economic conditions, fears of recession, and the availability and cost of efficient capital, among other factors. Worldwide economic conditions remain uncertain. As global economic conditions continue to be volatile or economic uncertainty increases, trends in business spending may become increasingly unpredictable and subject to reductions and fluctuations. Unfavorable economic conditions may lead our customers to delay or reduce purchases of our products and services, result in lower sales volumes, lower prices, lower lease utilization rates, and decreased revenues and profits. Shortages of skilled labor, increased labor costs, or failure to maintain good relations with our workforce could adversely affect our operations. We depend on skilled labor in all areas of our business. Some of our facilities are located in areas where demand for skilled labor often exceeds supply. If we lose our reputation as a leader in safety among our industry peers, we may become less competitive in our efforts to attract such skilled labor. Disputes with labor unions, could result in, among other things, strikes, work stoppages or other slowdowns which could cause a significant disruption of our operations and increase our ongoing labor costs. We cannot be assured that our relations with our workforce will remain positive. Increases in the price of materials and components used in the production of our products could negatively impact our profit margin on the sale of our products. The cost of steel and all other materials used in the production of our railcars represents more than half of our direct manufacturing costs per railcar. The inability to purchase a sufficient quantity of materials on a timely basis could create disruptions in our production and result in delays while we attempt to engage alternative suppliers. The loss of suppliers or their inability to meet our price, quality, quantity and delivery requirements could have an adverse effect on our ability to manufacture and sell our products on a cost-effective basis. If we or our joint ventures fail to complete capital expenditure projects on time and within budget, or if these projects, once completed, fail to operate as anticipated, or fail to improve the efficiencies of our operations, or to generate additional revenue as anticipated, such failure could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. From time-to-time, we, or our joint ventures, undertake strategic capital projects in order to enhance, expand and/or upgrade facilities and operational capabilities including by insourcing production of certain components in our manufacturing operations. Our ability, and our joint ventures’ respective abilities, to complete these projects on time and within budget, and for us to realize the anticipated increased revenues or lower costs, as applicable, or otherwise realize acceptable returns on these investments or other strategic capital projects that may be undertaken are subject to a number of risks. Many of these risks are beyond our control, including a variety of market, operational, permitting, and labor related factors. In addition, the cost to implement any given strategic capital project ultimately may prove to be greater than originally anticipated. If we, or our joint ventures, are not able to achieve the anticipated results from the implementation of any of these strategic capital projects, or if unanticipated implementation costs are incurred, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected. In addition, if we are unable to perform insourced functions better than, or at least as well as, our third-party providers, our business may be harmed. Business resiliency is important to our success. The impact of such disruptions to our business and results of operations may vary based on the length and severity of the disruption. Our failure to create and implement systems for monitoring, mitigating, managing, and recovering from such events could increase the length and severity of such disruptions, and could subject us to losses including penalties, cancellation of orders, and/or other losses. Such attempts are increasing in number and in technical sophistication, and if successful, would expose us and the affected parties to risk of loss or misuse of proprietary or confidential information, and could significantly disrupt our business operations. Our reliance on information technology increases to the extent working remotely increases among our employees. While we seek to detect and investigate unauthorized attempts and attacks against our network, products, and services, and to prevent their recurrence where practicable through changes to our internal processes and tools, we remain potentially vulnerable to additional known or unknown threats. In some instances, we, our customers, and the users of our products and services can be unaware of an incident or its magnitude and effects. These risks can be further complicated by new and evolving government regulations and requirements for cybersecurity incident reporting, which can result in greater scrutiny of and demands on our incident detection, analysis, mitigation and remediation processes and procedures. In addition, global privacy legislation, enforcement, and policy activity in this area are rapidly expanding and creating a complex regulatory compliance environment. Costs to comply with and implement these privacy-related and data protection measures could be significant, and noncompliance could expose us to significant monetary penalties, damage to our reputation, and even criminal sanctions. Even our inadvertent failure to comply with federal, state, or international privacy-related or data-protection laws and regulations could result in audits, regulatory inquiries, or proceedings against us by governmental entities or other third parties. A material disruption in the movement of rail traffic could impair our ability to deliver railcars and other products to our customers in a timely manner which could prevent us from meeting customer demand, reduce our sales, and negatively impact our results of operations. Once a railcar or other product is manufactured in one of our plants, it must be moved by rail to a customer delivery point. In many cases, the manufacturing plant and the delivery point are in different countries. In addition, our manufacturing facilities often purchase raw materials from different countries. The same factors affecting the movement of our completed railcars can disrupt the movement of these raw materials to our manufacturing facilities. A material disruption in the movement of our completed cars or raw materials, especially between countries and across borders, could negatively impact our business and results of operations. Equipment failures, technological failures, costs and inefficiencies associated with changing of production lines, or transfer of production between facilities, could lead to production, delivery, or service curtailments or shutdowns, loss of revenue or higher expenses. We operate a substantial amount of equipment at our production facilities. A halt of production at any of our manufacturing facilities could severely affect delivery times to our customers. Any significant delay in deliveries not otherwise contractually mitigated could result in cancellation of all or a portion of our orders, the loss of future sales, and negatively affect our reputation and our results of operations. We rely on information technology infrastructure and architecture, including hardware, network, software, people, processes and other infrastructure to provide useful and confidential information to conduct our business. In the ordinary course of business, we collect and store sensitive data and information, including our proprietary and regulated business information, that of our customers, suppliers and business partners, and personally identifiable information about our employees, as well as internal communications and exchanges with customers, suppliers, legal counsel, governmental agencies, and consultants. We depend on our information systems to successfully manage our 14 business. We have taken steps to maintain adequate data security by implementing security technologies, internal controls, and network and data center resiliency and recovery processes. In addition, we continually evaluate and implement upgrades and changes to our information technology systems. We could experience problems in connection with such implementations, including compatibility issues, training requirements, higher than expected implementation costs and other integration challenges and delays. A significant problem with an implementation, integration with other systems or ongoing management and operation of our systems could negatively impact our business by disrupting operations. Such a problem could also have an adverse effect on our ability to generate and interpret accurate management and financial reports and other information on a timely basis, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial reporting system and internal controls and adversely affect our ability to manage our business. Furthermore, despite our efforts, our information systems and processes, like those of other companies, are susceptible to damage or interruption due to natural disasters, power loss, telecommunications failures, viruses, breaches of security, system upgrades or new system implementations, as well as the inability of these systems or processes to fulfill their intended purpose within our business. Any operational failure or breach of security could lead to the loss or disclosure of both our and our customers’ financial, product and other confidential information, result in regulatory actions and legal proceedings, and/or have an adverse effect on our business and reputation. Our backlog is not necessarily indicative of the level of our future revenues. Our manufacturing backlog represents future production for our customers and estimated potential revenue attributable to such production. Our backlog of railcar units is not necessarily indicative of future results of operations. Some orders are subject to customary documentation, conditions, or completion of terms which may not occur. If a customer cancels an order, we may be unable to recover the entire amount we anticipated receiving from the order. The timing of converting backlog to revenue is also materially impacted by our decision whether to lease railcars, sell railcars, syndicate railcars with a lease attached to an investor, or contribute railcars to our lease fleet. Actual revenue may not equal our anticipated revenues based on our backlog. We may not be able to sustain our market leadership positions, which may impact our financial results. We face competition with respect to price, quality, timing, product performance, technological innovation, warranties, reliability of delivery, customer service, and other factors. The effects of this competition could reduce our revenues and operating profits, increase our expenses, limit our ability to grow, and otherwise affect our financial results. If we are not able to procure specialty components or services on commercially reasonable terms or on a timely basis, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected. Our manufacturing operations depend in part on our ability to obtain timely deliveries of materials, components and services in acceptable quantities and quality from our suppliers. In 2024, the top ten suppliers for all inventory purchases accounted for approximately 44% of total purchases. The top supplier accounted for approximately 17% of total inventory purchases in 2024. No other suppliers accounted for more than 10% of total inventory purchases. Certain components of our products, particularly specialized components like castings, bolsters, trucks, wheels and axles, and certain services, such as lining capabilities, are currently only available from a limited number of suppliers. If any one or more of our suppliers cease to provide us with sufficient quantities of our components or services in a timely manner or on terms acceptable to us, or cease to provide services or manufacture components of acceptable quality, or go out of business, we could incur disruptions or be limited in our production of our products and may not be able to promptly identify alternative sources for these components or services. In addition, we are increasing the number of components and services we manufacture or provide ourselves, directly or through joint ventures. If we are not successful at manufacturing such components or providing such services or have production problems after transitioning to self-produced supplies, we may not be able to replace such components or services from third-party suppliers in a timely manner. Any resulting disruption in our supply, or increase in the cost of specialized components and services, could harm our business and adversely affect our results of operations. We may build products in anticipation of a customer order, or lease railcars to a customer with the aim of selling such railcars on lease to a third-party. In such cases, the lag between production and sale results in uneven recognition of revenue and earnings over time. Our production during any given period may be concentrated in relatively few contracts, intensifying the amplitude and irregularity of our revenue streams. The timing of recognizing revenue on a railcar is also materially impacted by our decision whether to lease the railcar to a lessee, sell the railcar, or syndicate the railcar with a lease attached to an investor. In addition, we periodically sell railcars from our own lease fleet and the timing and volume of such sales are difficult to predict. As a result, comparisons of our Manufacturing or Leasing & Management Services revenue, deliveries, quarterly net gain on disposition of equipment, income and liquidity between quarterly periods within one year and between comparable periods in different years may not be meaningful and should not be relied upon as indicators of our future performance. Our success depends in part on our ability to attract, retain and motivate senior management and other key employees. Achieving this objective may be difficult due to many factors, including fluctuations in global economic and industry conditions, competitors’ hiring practices, cost reduction activities, and the effectiveness of our compensation programs. Competition for qualified personnel can be very intense. We must continue to recruit, retain and motivate senior management and other key employees sufficient to maintain our current business and support our future projects and growth objectives. We are vulnerable to attrition among our current senior management team and other key employees. Some members of our senior management team and other key employees are at or nearing retirement age. If we are unsuccessful in our succession planning efforts, the continuity of our business and results of operations could be adversely affected. A loss of any such personnel, or the inability to recruit and retain qualified personnel in the future, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We derive a significant amount of our revenue from a limited number of customers, the loss of or reduction of business from one or more of which could have an adverse effect on our business. A significant portion of our revenue is generated from a few major customers. Although we have some long-term contractual relationships with our major customers, we cannot be assured that we will continue to have good relations with our customers, or that our customers will continue to purchase or lease our products or services, or will continue to do so at historical levels, or will renew their existing contracts with us. A reduction in the purchasing or leasing of our products, a termination of our services by one or more of our major customers, a decline in the financial condition of a major customer, or our failure to replace expiring customer contracts with new customer contracts on satisfactory terms could result in a loss of business and have an adverse effect on our business and operating results. In February 2022, the Russian Federation commenced a military invasion of Ukraine. Some of our operations, particularly in Europe, have experienced higher energy costs, an increase in the price and decrease in the availability of steel and certain other materials and components, disruptions in transportation and supply chains, and higher manufacturing and borrowing costs. Not all of these costs are subject to escalation and related clauses which allow us to pass through costs to our customers, and there is a risk we will not be successful in renegotiating or managing the implementation of existing agreements to allow us to pass through these increased prices of manufacturing. These factors and others could disrupt our business directly and could disrupt the business of our customers thereby reducing or delaying orders of our goods and services. Prolonged civil unrest, 16 political instability or uncertainty, military activities, or broad-based sanctions related to the war in Ukraine or civil unrest or armed conflict in other geographies could have an adverse effect on our operations and business outlook. Our debt could have negative consequences to our business or results of operations. We face several risks due to our debt and debt service obligations including: our potential inability to satisfy our financial obligations related to our consolidated indebtedness; potential breach of the covenants in our credit agreements (including our revolving credit facility, asset-backed facilities and other facilities); our ability to borrow additional amounts or refinance existing indebtedness in the future to fund operating needs may be limited or costly; our availability of cash flow may be inadequate because a portion of our cash flow is needed to pay principal and interest on our debt; we may be at a disadvantage relative to our competitors that have greater financial resources than us or more flexible capital structures than us; we face additional exposure to the risk of increased interest rates as certain of our borrowings are at variable rates of interest, which could result in higher interest expense in the event of an increase in interest rates; restrictions under debt agreements may adversely interfere with our financial and operating flexibility; and exposure to the possibility that we may suffer a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition if we are unable to service our debt or obtain additional financing, as needed. We, our subsidiaries, and our joint ventures may incur additional indebtedness, including secured indebtedness, and other obligations and liabilities that do not constitute indebtedness. This could increase the risks associated with our debt. Some of our credit facilities and existing indebtedness use variable rates which may make the amount of interest we pay on such variable rate indebtedness difficult to predict. We continue to introduce new railcar product innovations and technologies as well as develop and offer information-technology-based services. We occasionally accept orders prior to receiving railcar certification or proving our ability to manufacture a quality product that meets customer standards. We could be unable to successfully design or manufacture new railcar product innovations or technologies. Our software products and information-technology-based services may contain design defects, software errors, hardware failures or other computer system failures that are difficult to detect and correct. Our inability to develop and manufacture new products or technologies in a timely and profitable manner, or to obtain timely certification, or to achieve market acceptance, or to avoid quality problems in our new products, could have a material adverse effect on our revenue and results of operations and subject us to losses including penalties, cancellation of orders, rejection of railcars by a customer and/or other losses. Our product and service warranties could expose us to significant claims. We offer our customers limited warranties for many of our products and services. Accordingly, we may be subject to significant warranty claims in the future, such as multiple claims based on one defect repeated throughout our production or servicing processes, claims for which the cost of repairing the defective part is highly disproportionate to the original cost of the part, or defects in railcars or services which we discover in the future resulting in increased warranty costs or litigation. Warranty and product support terms may expand beyond those which have traditionally prevailed in the rail supply industry. These types of warranty claims could result in costly product recalls, customers seeking monetary damages, significant repair costs and damage to our reputation. The ability to insure our businesses, facilities and rail assets is an important aspect of our ability to manage risk. As there are only limited providers of this insurance to the railcar industry, there is no guarantee that such insurance will be available on a cost-effective basis in the future. Additionally, the nature of our business subjects us to physical damage, business interruption and product liability claims, especially in connection with the repair and manufacture of products that carry hazardous or volatile materials. Although we maintain liability insurance coverage at commercially reasonable levels compared to similarly sized heavy equipment manufacturers, an unusually large physical damage, business interruption or product liability claim or a series of claims based on a failure repeated throughout our production process could exceed our insurance coverage and/or result in damage to our reputation, which could materially adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations. If we are unable to protect our intellectual property or if third parties assert that our products or services infringe their intellectual property rights, our ability to compete in the market may be harmed, and our business and financial condition may be adversely affected. Infringement and other intellectual property claims and proceedings brought against us, whether successful or not, could result in substantial litigation and judgment costs and harm our reputation. We are required to perform an annual impairment test of goodwill and other indefinite lived assets which could result in an impairment charge if it is determined that the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair value. We perform a goodwill impairment test at the reporting unit level annually or whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of these assets may exceed their fair value. In addition, we periodically review our intangible and other long-lived assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances, such as a divestiture, indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. If indicators suggest it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value or that the carrying amount of intangible or long-lived assets may not be recoverable, it may result in an impairment. Further, write-downs of goodwill and other assets could affect certain of the financial covenants under debt instruments and could restrict our financial flexibility. Our business will suffer if we are unsuccessful in making, integrating, and maintaining acquisitions, joint ventures and other strategic investments. We have acquired businesses and invested in or entered into joint ventures in past periods. We may in the future acquire other businesses or invest in or enter into other joint ventures. These transactions create risks to our ongoing business, including loss of management focus on existing operations, the time and effort required to integrate new or acquired businesses into our existing business, and the challenges of coordinating geographically dispersed organizations, as well as risks to the new or acquired business, such as the retention of key personnel and unanticipated expenses. In addition, we might need to issue additional equity securities, spend our cash, or incur debt, contingent liabilities, or amortization expenses related to intangible assets in connection with effecting an acquisition or joint venture, any of which could reduce our profitability and harm our business or only be available on unfavorable terms, if at all. General inflation in the U.S., Europe and other geographies has risen to levels not experienced in recent decades. Rising interest rates increases our borrowing costs potentially decreasing our profitability. Additionally, increased borrowing costs faced by our customers could result in decreased demand for our products. Monetary interventions also risk a sustained decline in aggregate demand, either globally or within one or more geographic markets. A decline in demand for our products would have a negative impact on our business and results of operations. The types of rail equipment we sell and the services we provide significantly impact our revenue and our margin and are dependent on broad economic trends over which we have little or no control. We manufacture, lease, maintain and refurbish a broad range of railcars and related rail equipment. The demand for specific types of railcars and the mix of repair and refurbishment work varies over time. Changes in the global economy and the industries and geographies that we serve cause shifts in demand for specific products and services. These shifts in demand could affect our results of operations and could have an adverse effect on our revenue and our profitability. Cyclical economic downturns in our industry usually result in decreased demand for our products and services and reduced revenue. The industry in which we operate is subject to periodic economic cycles, and the purchasing trends of customers in our industry have a significant impact on demand for our products and services. As a result, during downturns, the rate at which we convert backlog to revenue usually decreases and we may slow down or halt production at some of our facilities. An economic downturn in our industry would impact the demand for our products and services, and would result in one or more of the following: lower sales volumes, lower prices, lower lease utilization rates and decreased revenues and profits. Demand for our railcar equipment and services is dependent on the future of rail transportation and the manner in which railroads operate. Demand for our rail equipment and services may decrease if freight rail decreases as a mode of freight transportation used by customers to ship their products, or if governmental policies favor modes of freight transportation other than rail. If rail freight transportation becomes more efficient or dwell times decrease, demand for our rail equipment and services may decrease. If the rail freight industry becomes oversupplied, prices for our railcars, lease rates, and demand for our products and services may decrease. The industries in which our customers operate are driven by dynamic market forces and trends, which are in turn influenced by economic, regulatory, and political factors. Features and functionality specific to certain railcar types could result in those railcars becoming obsolete as customer requirements for freight delivery change. Risks related to our operations outside of the U.S. could adversely affect our operating results. Some foreign countries in which we operate or may operate have authorities that regulate railroad safety and rail equipment design and manufacturing. If we do not have appropriate certifications, we could be unable to market and sell our rail equipment 19 in those markets. Our business benefits from free trade agreements between the U.S. and foreign governments, and from various U.S. corporate tax provisions related to international commerce. Any changes in trade or tax policies by the U.S. or foreign governments in jurisdictions in which we do business, as well as any embargoes, quotas or tariffs imposed on our products and services, could adversely and significantly affect our financial condition and results of operations. Among the political risks we face outside the U.S. are governments nationalizing our business or assets, repudiating or renegotiating contracts with us, our customers or our suppliers, or revising their judicial or other governmental systems in a manner that decreases legal certainty. In our cross-border business activities, we could experience longer customer payment cycles, difficulty in collecting accounts receivable or an inability to protect our intellectual property. We could be adversely affected by violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar worldwide anti-corruption laws, which may conflict with local business customs in certain jurisdictions. The failure to comply with laws governing international business may result in substantial penalties and fines and reputational harm. Transactions with non-U.S. entities expose us to business practices, local customs, and legal processes with which we may not be familiar, as well as difficulty enforcing contracts and international political and trade tensions. If we are unable to successfully manage the risks associated with our foreign and cross-border business activities, our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows could be negatively impacted. Outside of the U.S., we primarily conduct business in Mexico, Europe and Brazil, and our non-U.S. businesses conduct their operations in local currencies. We also source materials worldwide. Fluctuations in exchange rates may affect demand for our products in foreign markets or our cost competitiveness and may adversely affect our profitability. Although we attempt to mitigate a portion of our exposure to changes in currency rates through currency rate hedge contracts and other activities, these efforts cannot fully eliminate the risks associated with foreign currencies. A material or adverse change in exchange rates could result in significant deterioration of profits or in losses for us. The deterioration of conditions in the global capital markets, weakening of macroeconomic conditions and changes in the credit markets and the financial services industry could negatively impact our business, results of operations, financial condition or liquidity. Our leasing subsidiaries' operations relies in large part upon banks and capital markets to fund their operations and contractual commitments and refinance existing debt. These markets can experience high levels of volatility and access to capital can be constrained for extended periods of time. In addition to conditions in the capital markets, a number of other factors could cause us to incur increased borrowing costs and have greater difficulty accessing public and private markets for both secured and unsecured debt. The credit markets and the financial services industry may experience volatility which can result in tighter availability of credit on more restrictive terms and limit our ability to sell railcar assets or to syndicate railcars to investors with leases attached. Our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations could be negatively impacted if our ability to borrow money to finance operations, obtain credit from trade creditors, obtain credit to maintain our hedging programs, offer leasing products to our customers or sell railcar assets were to be impaired. In addition, scarcity of capital could also adversely affect our customers’ ability to purchase, lease, or pay for products from us or adversely affect our suppliers’ ability to provide us with product. Any of these conditions or events could result in reductions in our revenues, increased price competition, or increased operating costs, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The profitability of our railcar leasing business depends on our ability to lease railcars at satisfactory rates, sell railcars with sufficiently profitable leases to investors, and to remarket, sell or scrap railcars we own or manage upon the expiration of leases. The rent we receive during the initial railcar lease term typically covers only a small portion of the railcar acquisition or production costs. Thus, we are exposed to a remarketing risk throughout the life of the railcar because we must obtain lease rates or a sale price sufficient to cover our acquisition or production costs related to the railcar. Our ability to lease or remarket leased railcars profitably is dependent on several factors, including, but not limited to, market and industry conditions, cost of, and demand for, competing used or newer models, availability of credit and the credit-worthiness of potential customers, costs associated with the refurbishment of the railcars, the market demand or governmental mandates for refurbishment, customers not defaulting on their leases, as well as market perceptions of residual values and interest rates. A downturn in the industries in which our lessees operate and decreased demand for railcars could also increase our exposure to remarketing risks because lessees may demand shorter lease terms, requiring us to remarket leased railcars more frequently. Furthermore, the resale market for previously leased railcars has a limited number of potential buyers. Additionally, when the price of scrap steel declines, our revenues and margins in such businesses decrease. Notwithstanding the terms of the leases we enter into, our lessees may misuse, abuse, improperly install components or improperly or inadequately maintain or repair the railcars we have leased to them. These actions could result in a diminution in the value of the railcars, as well as our potential exposure to claims that could increase our costs and weaken our financial condition. A limited availability of financing or higher interest rates could increase the cost of, or potentially deter, new leasing arrangements with our customers, reduce our ability to syndicate railcars under lease to financial institutions, or impact the sales price we may receive on such syndications, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The markets in which we participate are intensely competitive and we expect them to remain intensely competitive into the foreseeable future. Some of our competitors are owned or financially supported by foreign governments or sovereign wealth funds, and may potentially sell products and services below cost, or otherwise compete unfairly, in order to gain market share. The relative competitiveness of our manufacturing facilities and products affects our performance. A number of competitive factors challenge or affect our ability to compete successfully including the introduction of competitive products and new entrants into our markets, a limited customer base and price pressures from unfair competition and increases in raw materials and labor costs. If we do not compete successfully, our market share, margin and results of operations may be adversely affected. Fires, natural disasters, pandemics, terrorism, or severe or unusual weather conditions could disrupt our business and result in loss of revenue or higher expenses or decreased demand. Disruptions can arise from damage to our facilities and operations from such events or from government, regulator or customer actions taken to respond to or mitigate such events. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted businesses globally, including our business, due to changes in consumer behavior, pandemic fears and market downturns, and the extraordinary actions taken by governmental authorities to contain and combat the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 in regions throughout the world. Such events can also materially disrupt the operations of our customers and suppliers. If there is a natural disaster or other serious disruption at any of our facilities, particularly at any of our Mexican or Arkansas facilities, it could impair our ability to adequately supply our customers, cause a significant disruption to our operations, cause us to incur significant costs to relocate or reestablish these functions and negatively impact our operating results. If occurring for prolonged periods, such weather could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. We provide a number of services which include the manufacture and supply of new railcars, wheels, new and refurbished axles, components and parts and the lease and maintenance of railcars for our customers that transport a variety of commodities, including tank railcars that transport hazardous materials such as crude oil, ethanol, chlorine, anhydrous ammonia and other products. We could be subject to various legal claims, including claims of negligence, personal injury, physical damage and product or service liability, or in some cases strict liability, as well as potential penalties and liability under environmental laws and regulations, in the event of a derailment or other accident involving railcars, including tank railcars, whether resulting from natural disasters, human error, terrorism, or other causes. If we become subject to any such claims and are unable to successfully resolve them or maintain inadequate insurance for such claims, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected, and may also harm our reputation. The products we manufacture are designed to work optimally when properly operated, installed, repaired, maintained and used to transport the intended cargo. Our products may be sold to third parties who may misuse, improperly install or improperly or inadequately maintain or repair such products, which may result in us being subjected to claims or litigation associated with product damage, injuries or property damage that could increase our costs and weaken our financial condition. Our employees may engage in misconduct, fraud or other improper activities, including noncompliance with our policies or regulatory standards and requirements, which could subject us to regulatory sanctions and reputational damage and materially harm our business. It is not always possible to deter employee misconduct, and the precautions we take to prevent and detect this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses, including risks associated with harassment, as well as whistleblower complaints and litigation. There can be no assurance that we will succeed in preventing misconduct by employees in the future. In addition, the investigation of alleged misconduct disrupts our operations and may harm the public’s perception of our company, which may be costly. Any such events in the future may have a material adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operations. Changes in, or failure to comply with, applicable regulations may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our company and the other participants in our industry are subject to regulation by governmental agencies. These authorities establish, interpret, and enforce rules and regulations for the railcar industry. New rules and regulations and shifting enforcement priorities of regulators could increase our operating costs and the operating costs of our 22 customers. Changes to the process for obtaining regulatory approval in Europe for the operation of new or modified railcars may make it more difficult for us to deliver products timely and to comply with our sales contracts. If we or our suppliers fail to comply with applicable requirements and regulations, we could face sanctions and penalties that could negatively affect our financial results. We have potential exposure to environmental liabilities, which could increase our operating costs or have an adverse effect on our results of operations. These laws and regulations are complex and frequently change. We could incur unexpected costs, penalties and other civil and criminal liabilities if we, or in certain circumstances others, fail to comply with environmental laws or permits issued pursuant to those laws. We also could incur costs or liabilities related to off-site waste disposal or remediating soil or groundwater contamination at our properties, including as set forth in Item 3, “Legal Proceedings.” In addition, future environmental laws and regulations may require significant capital expenditures or changes to our operations, or may impose liability on us in the future for actions that complied with then applicable laws and regulations when the action was taken.S. Congress, and by the EPA, as well as in Europe and other geographies in which we operate. Some of these proposals would require industries to meet stringent new standards that may require substantial reporting of GHGs and other carbon intensive activities in addition to potentially mandating reductions in carbon emissions. Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. Some of these policies require use of estimates and assumptions that may affect the reported value of our assets or liabilities and financial results and are critical because they require management to make difficult, subjective, and complex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain. If our accounting policies, methods, judgments, assumptions, estimates and allocations prove to be incorrect, or if circumstances change, our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends or stock price may be materially adversely affected. Accounting standard setters and those who interpret the accounting standards (such as the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC, and independent registered public accounting firms) may amend or even reverse their previous interpretations or positions on how these standards should be applied. In some cases, we could be required to apply a new or revised standard retrospectively, resulting in the revision of prior period financial statements. Changes in accounting standards can be hard to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. There is no assurance that tax authorities will reauthorize, modify, or prevent the expiration of tax benefits, tax credits, or other policies aimed to incentivize the purchase of our products. If such incentives are discontinued or diminished, the demand for our products could decrease, thereby creating the potential for a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. The price of our common stock has experienced rapid and significant price fluctuations. The price for our common stock is likely to continue to be volatile and subject to price and volume fluctuations in response to market and other factors, including the factors discussed elsewhere in these risk factors. A material decline in the price of our common stock may result in the assertion of certain claims against us, and/or the commencement of inquiries and/or investigations against us. A prolonged decline in the price of our common stock could result in a reduction in the liquidity of our common stock, a reduction in our ability to raise capital, and the inability of investors to obtain a favorable selling price for their shares. Following periods of volatility in the market price of their stock, historically many companies have been the subject of securities class action litigation. If we became involved in securities class action litigation in the future, it could result in substantial costs and diversion of our management’s attention and our resources and could harm our stock price, business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. Our business and operations could be negatively affected if we become subject to shareholder activism, which could cause us to incur significant expense, hinder execution of our business strategy and impact our stock price. In recent years, companies with a class of publicly-traded securities commonly face proxy contests, public information campaigns, and other forms of shareholder activism. Shareholder activism could result in substantial costs to the Company, give rise to perceived uncertainties as to our future, adversely affect our relationships with suppliers, customers, and regulators, make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel, and adversely impact our stock price. Our current shareholders could experience dilution. We require substantial working capital to fund our business. If additional funds are raised through the issuance of equity securities or convertible securities, the percentage ownership held by our shareholders would be reduced and the equity securities we issue may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of our common stock. Additionally, we have the option to settle outstanding convertible notes in cash, although if we opt not to or do not have the ability to settle outstanding convertible notes in cash, the conversion of some or all of our convertible notes may dilute the ownership interests of existing shareholders. Any sales in the public market of the common stock issuable upon the conversion of the notes could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock. In addition, the existence of the notes may encourage short selling by market participants because the conversion of the notes could depress the price of our common stock. Certain provisions in our charter documents, Oregon law, and our debt instruments could make an acquisition of our company more difficult, limit attempts by our shareholders to replace or remove members of our Board of Directors and may adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Our Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, Oregon law, and contracts and debt instruments to which we are a party, contain certain provisions that could delay, defer or prevent an acquisition proposal that some, or a majority, of our shareholders might believe to be in their best interests or in which shareholders might receive a premium for their common stock over the then-prevailing market price. These provisions could also dissuade shareholders or third parties from contesting director elections and could cause investors to view our securities as less attractive investments and reduce the market price of our common stock. Certain relevant provisions of our Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, as well as Oregon law, are described in further detail in “Description of the Registrant’s Securities Under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934” included as Exhibit 4.

3 to this Form 10-K. Any decision to pay dividends will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon our operating results, strategic plans, capital requirements, financial condition, provisions of our borrowing arrangements and other factors our Board of Directors considers relevant. Furthermore, Oregon law imposes restrictions on our ability to pay dividends. Accordingly, we may not be able to continue to pay dividends in any given amount in the future, or at all. The Board of Directors has authorized our company to repurchase our common stock through a share repurchase program. Our share repurchase program may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time without prior notice. Although the share repurchase program is intended to enhance long-term shareholder value, we cannot provide assurance that this will occur. General Risk Factors Unanticipated changes in our tax provisions or exposure to additional income tax liabilities could affect our financial condition and profitability, and we may take tax positions that the Internal Revenue Service or other tax authorities may contest.S. and foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgments and estimates are required to be made in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes. Changes in estimates of projected future operating results, loss of deductibility of items, recapture of prior deductions (including related to interest on convertible notes), limitations on our ability to utilize tax net operating losses in the future or changes in assumptions regarding our ability to generate future taxable income could result in significant increases to our tax expense and liabilities that could adversely affect our financial condition and profitability.S. or foreign tax authorities may contest. We are required by an IRS regulation to disclose particular tax positions to the IRS as part of our tax returns for that year and future years. If the IRS or other tax authorities successfully contests a tax position that we take, we may be required to pay additional taxes, interest or fines that may adversely affect our results of operations and financial position. We may face other legal or regulatory actions by U.S. or foreign tax authorities contesting our tax positions that may cause management distraction and require us to incur costs to respond regardless of their outcome. The use of social and other digital media to disseminate false, misleading and/or unreliable or inaccurate data and information could create unwarranted volatility in our stock price and losses to our shareholders and could adversely affect our reputation, products, business, and operating results. A substantial number of people are relying on social and other digital media to receive news, data, and information. Social and other digital media can be used by anyone to publish data and information without regard for factual accuracy. The use of social and other digital media to publish inaccurate, offensive, and disparaging data and information coupled with the frequent use of strong language and hostile expression, may influence the public’s inability to distinguish between what is true and what is false and could obstruct an effective and timely response to correct inaccuracies or falsifications. Such use of social and other digital media could result in unexpected and unsubstantiated claims concerning our business in general or our products, our leadership or our reputation among customers and the public at large, thereby making it more difficult for us to compete effectively, and potentially having a material adverse effect on our business, operations, or financial condition. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS None. CYBERSECURITY Cybersecurity represents an important component of our overall approach to risk management. Our information security risk management (ISRM) policies, standards and practices are integrated into our overall enterprise risk management (ERM) approach, and cybersecurity risks are one of the business risks that are subject to oversight by our Board of Directors. Our ISRM policies, standards and practices follow industry trends, which align with frameworks established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. We approach cybersecurity threats through a cross-functional approach which endeavors to: (i) identify, prevent and mitigate cybersecurity threats to us; (ii) preserve the confidentiality, security and availability of the information that we collect and store to use in our business; (iii) protect our intellectual property; (iv) maintain the confidence of our customers, clients and business partners; and (v) provide appropriate public disclosure of cybersecurity risks and incidents when required. Risk Management and Strategy Our cybersecurity program focuses on the following areas: •Vigilance – We maintain cybersecurity threat operations with the goal of proactively identifying, preventing and mitigating cybersecurity threats and responding to cybersecurity incidents in accordance with our established cybersecurity incident response procedure plan. We recognize that the sophistication of cyber-threats will continue to evolve as threat actors increase their use of artificial intelligence technologies. •Systems Safeguards – We implement layered systems safeguards to enable the protection of our information systems from cybersecurity threats. These safeguards include network security, vulnerability management, and threat detection. •Collaboration – We utilize collaboration mechanisms established with public and private entities, including intelligence and enforcement agencies, industry groups and third-party service providers, to identify, assess and respond to cybersecurity risks. •Third-Party Risk Management – We actively manage cybersecurity risks posed by third parties and their systems that could impact our operations. We monitor and assess the security posture of our third-party vendors. We require third-party service providers with access to sensitive information to maintain cybersecurity practices aligned with industry standards and applicable laws. In addition, we proactively monitor public information regarding our vendors for security incidents, investigate potential impacts, and take appropriate action to mitigate risk. •Training – We have implemented and maintain a comprehensive cybersecurity training program to educate personnel about evolving threats and reinforce security best practices. This program includes: i.Monthly phishing awareness campaigns with mandatory remedial training for those who fail. ii.Annual security and acceptable use awareness training. iii.Targeted training for high-risk groups such as finance and accounting, including phishing email response checks, to proactively mitigate threats like business email compromise. •Incident Response and Recovery Planning – We have established and maintain a cybersecurity incident response procedure plan that addresses our response to cybersecurity incidents and recovery from such incidents, and such plan is tested and evaluated periodically. •Communication, Coordination and Disclosure – We utilize a cross-functional approach to address the risk from cybersecurity threats, involving management personnel from our technology, operations, legal, 26 risk management and other key business functions, as well as the members of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, in an ongoing dialogue regarding cybersecurity threats and incidents, while also implementing controls and procedures for the escalation of cybersecurity incidents pursuant to established thresholds so that decisions regarding the disclosure and reporting of such incidents can be made by management in a timely manner. We have established an Incident Response Committee to quickly organize and execute an effective, productive, timely and compliance-conscious response to cybersecurity threats and incidents, as well as coordinate among the cross-functional groups. •Governance – The Board of Directors' oversight of cybersecurity risk management is supported by the Audit Committee, which regularly interacts with our experienced Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), the Incident Response Committee, which is chaired by our SVP Administration, and other members of management. We manage risks from cybersecurity threats through the assessment and testing of our processes and practices focused on evaluating the effectiveness of our cybersecurity measures. We engage third parties as appropriate to perform assessments of our cybersecurity measures. The results of such assessments and reviews are reported to the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors, and we adjust our cybersecurity policies, standards, processes and practices as necessary based on the information provided by the assessments, audits and reviews. We maintain cyber risk and related insurance policies as a measure of added protection. Governance The Board of Directors, in coordination with the Audit Committee, oversees the management of risks from cybersecurity threats, including the policies, standards, processes and practices that management implements to address risks from cybersecurity threats. The Audit Committee reviews cybersecurity on a quarterly basis. The Board of Directors and the Audit Committee each receive regular presentations and reports on cybersecurity risks, which address a wide range of topics including, for example, recent developments, evolving standards, vulnerability assessments, third-party reviews, the threat environment, technological trends and information security considerations arising with respect to our peers. The Board of Directors and the Audit Committee also receive prompt and timely information regarding any cybersecurity incident that meets established reporting thresholds, as well as ongoing updates regarding such incident until it has been addressed. On a regular basis, the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee discuss our approach to cybersecurity risk management with the CISO and other cyber team members, as well as senior leadership. The CISO is principally responsible for overseeing our cybersecurity risk management program, in partnership with other business leaders across the Company. The CISO works in coordination with senior leadership, which includes our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer and Chief Legal & Compliance Officer. The CISO has decades of experience in the cybersecurity and information security fields, including experience with both private and public companies and the military, as well as experience in the transportation and rail industry. In addition, the CISO has ISO 27001 Certification and completed W2CCA Cyber Combat Academy. The CISO, in coordination with senior leadership, works collaboratively across the Company to implement a program designed to protect our information systems from cybersecurity threats and to promptly respond to any cybersecurity incidents. To facilitate the success of this program, multidisciplinary teams throughout the Company are deployed to address cybersecurity threats and to respond to cybersecurity incidents in accordance with our cybersecurity incident response procedure plan. Through the ongoing communications from these teams, the CISO and senior leadership monitor the prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of cybersecurity incidents in real time, and report such incidents to the Audit Committee when appropriate. To date, we have not experienced any risks from cybersecurity threats or incidents that have materially affected us or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. 27 .

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