2014 Form 10-K

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
____________________________
FORM 10-K
____________________________

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 28, 2014
or
¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from _____ to _____
Commission File Number: 001-11796
____________________________
Masonite International Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
____________________________
British Columbia, Canada
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
 
98-0377314
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
2771 Rutherford Road
Concord, Ontario L4K 2N6 Canada
(Address of principal executive offices, zip code)
(800) 895-2723
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
____________________________
Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
 
Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock (no par value)
 
New York Stock Exchange
Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o No x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
 
x
 
Accelerated filer
 
o
 
 
 
 
Non-accelerated filer
 
o (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
 
Smaller reporting company
 
o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No x
As of June 29, 2014, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the shares of voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, computed by reference to the closing sales price of such shares on the New York Stock Exchange on June 29, 2014, was $1.1 billion.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Section 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of the securities under a plan confirmed by a court. Yes x No o
The registrant had outstanding 30,043,990 shares of Common Stock, no par value, as of February 23, 2015.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for its 2015 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders scheduled to be held on May 13, 2015, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after December 28, 2014, are incorporated by reference into Part III, Items 10-14 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.



MASONITE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
INDEX TO ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
December 28, 2014

 
Page No.
PART I
 
 
 
Item 1
 
Item 1A
 
Item 1B
 
Item 2
 
Item 3
 
Item 4
 
PART II
 
 
 
Item 5
 
Item 6
 
Item 7
 
Item 7A
 
Item 8
 
Item 9
 
Item 9A
 
Item 9B
 
PART III
 
 
 
Item 10
 
Item 11
 
Item 12
 
Item 13
 
Item 14
 
PART IV
 
 
 
Item 15
 
 

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including, without limitation, statements concerning the conditions in our industry, our operations, our economic performance and financial condition, including, in particular, statements relating to our business and growth strategy and product development efforts under "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts and can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "estimate," "project," "plan," "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "outlook," "believe" and other similar expressions. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. These forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions by our management that, although we believe to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain and subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, those identified under "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in this Annual Report.

The following list represents some, but not necessarily all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from historical results or those anticipated or predicted by these forward-looking statements:

our ability to successfully implement our business strategy;
general economic, market and business conditions;
levels of residential new construction; residential repair, renovation and remodeling; and non-residential building construction activity;
competition;
our ability to manage our operations including integrating our recent acquisitions and companies or assets we acquire in the future;
our ability to generate sufficient cash flows to fund our capital expenditure requirements, to meet our pension obligations, and to meet our debt service obligations, including our obligations under our senior notes and our senior secured asset-based credit facility, or our ABL Facility;
labor relations (i.e., disruptions, strikes or work stoppages), labor costs and availability of labor;
increases in the costs of raw materials or any shortage in supplies;
our ability to keep pace with technological developments;
the actions taken by, and the continued success of, certain key customers;
our ability to maintain relationships with certain customers;
new contractual commitments;
the ability to generate the benefits of our restructuring activities;
retention of key management personnel;
environmental and other government regulations;
our levels of indebtedness and debt service obligations, including our obligations under our senior notes and our ABL Facility;
limitations on operating our business as a result of covenant restrictions under our existing and future indebtedness, including our senior notes and our ABL Facility; and
our ability to repurchase our senior notes upon a change of control.

We caution you that the foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive. In addition, in light of these risks and uncertainties, the matters referred to in the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report may not in fact occur. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.


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PART I

Unless we state otherwise or the context otherwise requires, in this Annual Report all references to "Masonite", "we", "us", "our" and the "Company" refer to Masonite International Corporation and its subsidiaries.

Item 1. Business

Overview

We are a leading global designer and manufacturer of interior and exterior doors for the residential new construction; the residential repair, renovation and remodeling; and the non-residential building construction markets. Since 1925, we have provided our customers with innovative products and superior service at compelling values. In order to better serve our customers and create sustainable competitive advantages, we focus on developing innovative products, advanced manufacturing capabilities and technology-driven sales and service solutions. Today, we believe we hold either the number one or two market positions in the seven product categories we target in North America: interior molded residential doors; interior stile and rail residential doors; exterior fiberglass residential doors; exterior steel residential doors; interior architectural wood doors; wood veneers and molded door facings; and door core.

We market and sell our products to remodeling contractors, builders, homeowners, retailers, dealers, lumberyards, commercial and general contractors and architects through well-established wholesale and retail distribution channels. Our broad portfolio of brands, including Masonite®, Marshfield®, Premdor®, Mohawk®, Megantic®, Algoma®, Birchwood Best®, Lemieux®, Door-StopTM and Harring Doors, are among the most recognized in the door industry and are associated with innovation, quality and value. In the year ended December 28, 2014, we sold approximately 33 million doors to more than 7,000 customers in 80 countries. Our fiscal year 2014 net sales to our end-markets by segment and in North America are set forth below:
Net Sales
by Segment - 2014
 
North American Net Sales
by End Market - 2014
 

In response to historic declines in the residential and architectural construction markets as a result of the recent global economic downturn, we proactively sought to optimize our geographic and operational footprint and significantly improve our cost structure. Specifically, we consolidated our manufacturing and distribution operations by closing 65 facilities from 2006 through 2014, reduced our workforce from more than 15,000 employees in 2006 to approximately 10,300 as of December 28, 2014, outsourced back office processes, and strengthened our balance sheet.
    
At the same time, we also invested in advanced technologies to increase the automation of our manufacturing processes, increase quality and shorten lead times and introduced targeted e-commerce and other marketing initiatives to improve our sales and marketing efforts and customer experience. In addition, we implemented a disciplined acquisition strategy that solidified our presence in both the North American residential molded and stile and rail interior door markets and created leadership positions in the attractive North American commercial and architectural interior wood door, door core and wood veneer markets.

We operate 63 manufacturing and distribution facilities in 10 countries in North America, Europe, South America, Asia and Africa, which are strategically located to serve our customers. We are one of the few vertically

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integrated door manufacturers in the world and one of only two in the North American residential door industry as well as the only vertically integrated door manufacturer in the North American architectural interior wood door industry. Our vertical integration extends to all steps of the production process from initial design, development and production of steel press plates to produce interior molded and exterior fiberglass door facings to the manufacturing of door components, such as door cores, wood veneers and molded facings, to door slab assembly. We also offer incremental value by pre-machining doors for hardware, hanging doors in frames with glass and hardware and pre-finishing doors with paint or stain. We believe that our vertical integration and automation enhance our ability to develop new and proprietary products, provide greater value and improved customer service and create high barriers to entry. We also believe vertical integration enhances our ability to cut costs, although our cost structure is subject to certain factors beyond our control, such as global commodity shocks.

Market Opportunity

According to the “Windows and Doors” industry study, published in May of 2014 by Freedonia, the U.S. residential door market consisted of approximately 45.2 million units in 2013. In September of 2014 the Window and Door Manufacturers Association reported that the non-residential door market contained 2.9 million door units in 2013. By combining these two sources, the US door market in 2013 equated to 48.1 million doors. Freedonia reports an expected growth rate of 69% for residential doors through 2018.

The primary drivers of the market for doors and door products include:

Residential New Construction

The U.S. housing market has been improving since reaching historic lows during the recent global economic downturn, although the market remains volatile. Housing starts declined by more than 70% from the peak of 2.1 million in 2005 to approximately 600,000 in 2011 according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and home prices declined by nearly 33% during this period according to the S&P/Case-Shiller National U.S. Home Price Index. During 2014, the new housing market and home prices continued to recover with total housing starts increasing approximately 8.8% to 1.0 million in 2014 compared to 2013 and 2014 median home prices rising approximately 5.5% compared to 2013, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, this level of housing starts remains significantly below the long term annual average of 1.5 million housing starts since the U.S. Census Bureau began reporting this data in 1959 and there can be no assurance that they will return to historic levels. The National Association of Home Builders estimates that 2016 housing starts will be 1.46 million, which would represent a 16.9% compound annual growth rate from 2012.

Residential Repair, Renovation and Remodeling

According to the Home Improvement Research Institute, or HIRI, and IHS Global Insight, the U.S. residential repair, renovation and remodeling products market declined by an average of approximately 5.5% per year from 2006 to 2009 on a nominal basis. During this period, declining home prices, increasing unemployment and record foreclosures discouraged homeowners from making repairs or improvements to their homes. More recently there are positive signs that market conditions in the U.S. are beginning to improve, although U.S. economic conditions remain challenged. HIRI forecasts that the U.S. residential repair, renovation and remodeling products market will grow by an average of approximately 5.5% per year from 2014 to 2017 on a nominal basis driven by the improving economy, greater consumer confidence and rising home prices.

Architectural Building Construction

The U.S. architectural building construction market did not begin to decline until 2008, which was well after the decline in the residential new construction market. In a pattern that is typical of prior cycles, the recovery in this market has lagged the recovery in residential new construction. According to the industry research and investment firm FMI, the architectural construction market is expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of 5.4% in construction put in place from 2014 to 2018. Although the demand for doors lags architectural building construction starts, we believe new construction activity is a strong indicator of future demand for doors.
    

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The architectural building construction market also includes the repair, renovation and remodeling of existing architectural properties. According to the most recent Buildings Energy data book of the U.S. Department of Energy published in March 2012, there was approximately 81 billion square feet of installed commercial floorspace in the U.S. in 2010. We believe that repair, renovation and remodeling activity in this market will accelerate as the economy and confidence levels continue to improve, although various factors will impact our business in this market, including architectural building occupancy rates and the availability and cost of credit.

Competitive Strengths

We believe the following competitive strengths differentiate us from other building product companies and position us for significant growth as part of a multi-year, multi stage recovery in our end markets.

Leading Market Positions in Targeted End Markets

Within the North American door market, we believe we hold either the number one or two market position in the seven product categories we target. We are one of the largest manufacturers of doors and door components in the world, selling approximately 33 million residential, architectural interior and exterior doors in 2014; approximately 26 million of which were sold in the United States, our largest market. We believe our scale and leadership positions support our commitment to invest in advanced manufacturing and e-commerce initiatives and develop innovative new products, to effectively service regional and national customers and to offer broad product lines across our markets, while reducing our materials and unit production costs.

Extensive Portfolio with Strong Brand Recognition

Our broad portfolio of brands is among the most recognized in the door industry and is associated with superior design, innovation, reliability and quality. Builder Magazine recognized the Masonite® brand as one of the leading interior door brands in the United States in 2014 in the following categories: Brand Used in Past Two Years, Brand Used the Most, Brand Familiarity, and Quality Rating.

Long-Term Customer Relationships and Well-Established Multi-Channel Distribution
    
As a result of our longstanding commitment to customer service and product innovation, we have well-established relationships within the wholesale and retail channels. All of our top 20 customers have purchased doors from us for at least 10 years, although we generally do not enter into long-term contracts with our customers and they generally do not have an obligation to purchase our products. In addition, our manufacturing and distribution facilities are strategically located to best serve our customers. We believe that our long-term relationships with leading wholesale distributors, major homebuilders, contractors and architects will enable us to continue to increase our market penetration in the residential and architectural construction markets.

Leading Technological Innovation Within the Door Industry

We believe we are a leader in technological innovation in the design of doors and door components and in the complex processes required to manufacture high quality products quickly and consistently. We intend to continue developing new and innovative products at our 145,245 square foot innovation center in West Chicago, Illinois while improving critical processes in the manufacturing and selling of our products. For example, we have made significant investments to automate selected door manufacturing processes that were previously labor intensive, including our fiberglass door production line in Tennessee, our interior door slab assembly operations in South Carolina and are in the process of a significant machining automation project at our Pennsylvania facility. Our future success will depend on our ability to develop and introduce new or improved products, to continue to improve our manufacturing and product service processes, and to protect our rights to the technologies used in our products. We have also created proprietary web-based sales and marketing tools, including MAX Masonite Xpress ConfiguratorSM for our residential and DoorbuilderTM for our architectural customer networks, to improve selection and order processes, reduce order entry errors, create more accurate quotes, improve communication and facilitate a better customer experience. As of December 28, 2014, we had 192 design patents and design patent applications and 172 utility patents and patent

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applications in the United States, and 105 foreign design patents and patent applications and 359 foreign utility patents and patent applications.

Vertically Integrated Operations Across the Production Process

We are one of the few vertically integrated door manufacturers in the world. In North America, we are one of only two vertically integrated manufacturers of residential doors and the only vertically integrated manufacturer of non-residential interior wood doors. Our vertical integration extends across the production process, which we believe enhances our ability to develop products and respond quickly to changing consumer preferences, provides greater value and better service for our customers, and potentially lowers our costs. We leverage our assets through our vertically integrated operations in a manner that is difficult to replicate without significant capital investment. As an example, the replacement insurance value on our five molded door facing facilities is in excess of $1 billion.

Experienced Management Team with Extensive Experience and a Successful Track Record

We are managed by results-driven executives with a proven track record of successfully managing multiple brands, winning new business, reducing costs and identifying, executing and integrating strategic acquisitions. Several members of our management team previously worked at Fortune 500 companies, including Allied Signal Inc., Honeywell International Inc., The Procter & Gamble Company, General Electric Company and The Dow Chemical Company, where they utilized advanced technologies to improve cost structures and create competitive advantages.

Growth Strategy

Our vision is to be the premier provider of doors and door components for the global door industry. We are committed to executing the following balanced and complementary strategies to continue to further strengthen our leadership positions, create value for our customers, enhance our portfolio of leading brands and achieve our top and bottom line growth objectives.

Develop Innovative, Market-Leading Products

We intend to continue developing new and innovative products to grow our sales and enhance our returns. On average we have introduced more than 200 new products and designs in each of the last three years. We plan to capitalize on the anticipated growth in door demand by continuing to introduce new, value-added products to build upon our comprehensive portfolio of door styles, designs, textures, components, options, applications and materials. We have consistently demonstrated the ability to develop products that are differentiated by compelling design features and recognized for their reliability and quality. For example, we recently introduced the Heritage® Series of doors that feature recessed, flat panels and sharp, Shaker-style profiles which speak to a clean, modern aesthetic while retaining comfortable familiarity found in today’s interiors.

Expand our Presence in Attractive Markets and Geographies to Accelerate Growth and Improve Margins

We plan to continue to focus our operations on attractive new market and geographic opportunities. For example, we believe we can expand our leading position in the North American architectural wood door market by focusing on strategic sectors within this market, such as education, health care and hospitality and faster growing regions such as the West Coast, Texas and Southeastern United States, although certain of these sectors continue to be affected by budgetary constraints. By expanding our market presence and achieving greater economies of scale, we intend to capitalize on the anticipated recovery in the U.S. architectural construction market. Additionally, we believe we can expand our market growth in the architectural wood door market through the introduction of products with high design and performance attributes by focusing on certain markets within our Europe, Asia and Latin America segment. We are also focused on expanding our business in the residential new construction market and with professional repair, renovation and remodeling contractors, both domestically and internationally.


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Leverage Our Marketing, Sales and Customer Service Activities to Further Drive Sales
    
We intend to continue to pursue additional growth opportunities by leveraging our extensive sales, marketing and customer service efforts in innovative ways. For example, we have developed several proprietary web-based tools for our customers, including MAX Masonite Xpress ConfiguratorSM, MC2 and MConnectTM, to enhance communication and information flow with our customers in our wholesale dealer network by providing a more customized buying experience, customer leads and quoting capabilities and simplifying the procurement process. We also intend to capture additional share in the attractive professional repair, renovation and remodeling markets by helping professional contractors produce customized marketing materials to assist them in their sales efforts. In addition, we plan to continue developing effective marketing initiatives to expand our business with professional dealers and homebuilders.

Continue to Pursue Operational Excellence

Since 2006 we have rolled-out Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma, or Lean Sigma, to 57 facilities, awarded over 700 "belt" certifications to over 500 Masonite employees and saved over $150 million. We plan to continue to use Lean Sigma tools and practices to lower costs, improve customer service and increase profitability through automation, footprint optimization and disciplined operating practices based on continuous improvement across all functional areas of the business. For example, we intend to draw on our experience with our state of the art interior door slab assembly operations in South Carolina to automate other labor-intensive manufacturing processes throughout our production system. We also plan to further optimize our manufacturing and distribution channels to eliminate cost inefficiencies and to better serve customers with shorter lead times and higher quality.

Pursue Strategic Acquisitions to Create Leadership Positions

We intend to continue our disciplined approach to identifying, executing and integrating strategic acquisitions while maintaining a strong balance sheet, although we expect competition for the best candidates. We target companies with differentiated businesses, strong brands, complementary technologies, attractive geographic footprints and opportunities for cost and distribution synergies. For example, from 2011 to 2014 we made eight strategic acquisitions to create leadership positions in (i) the attractive North American architectural wood door and door core market through the acquisitions of Marshfield, Algoma, Baillargeon and Harring, (ii) the North American interior stile and rail residential door market through the acquisitions of Lemieux and the assets of a door manufacturing operation located in Chile for servicing the North American market, (iii) the production and sale of wood veneers with the acquisition of Birchwood and (iv) the United Kingdom exterior residential repair and renovation market with the acquisition of Door-Stop.

Product Lines

Residential Doors

We sell an extensive range of interior and exterior doors in a wide array of designs, materials, and sizes. While substantially all interior doors are made with wood and related materials such as hardboard (including wood composite molded and flat door facings), the use of wood in exterior doors in North America has declined over the last two decades as a result of the increased penetration of steel and fiberglass doors. Our exterior doors are made primarily of steel or fiberglass. Our residential doors are molded panel, flush, stile and rail, routed medium-density fiberboard (“MDF”), steel or fiberglass.
    
Molded panel doors are interior doors available either with a hollow or solid core and are made by assembling two molded door skin panels around a wood or MDF frame. Molded panel doors are routinely used for closets, bedrooms, bathrooms and hallways. Our molded panel product line is subdivided into four distinct product groups: our original Molded Panel series is a combination of classic styling, durable construction, and variety of design preferred by our customers when price sensitivity is a critical component in the product selection; our Palazzo® series is comprised of three distinct patented designs that accentuate the beauty and flexibility of molding wood fiber to replicate high end, historically labor intensive door designs; the four doors within our Anniversary Collection® embody themed, period, and architectural style specific designs; the West EndTM Collection, strengthens our tradition of design innovation by introducing the clean and simple aesthetics found in modern linear designs to the molded panel interior door category; and our newest introduction to the molded panel line, the Heritage® Series, which features recessed, flat panels and

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sharp, Shaker-style profiles which speak to a clean, modern aesthetic while retaining comfortable familiarity found in today’s interiors. All of our molded panel doors except for the Palazzo® series can be upgraded with our proprietary, wheat straw based Safe ‘N Sound® door core or our environmentally friendly EmeraldTM door construction which enables home owners, builders, and architects to meet specific product requirements and “green” specifications to attain LEED certification for a building or dwelling.

Flush interior doors are available either with a hollow or solid core and are made by assembling two facings of plywood, MDF, composite wood, or hardboard over a wood or MDF frame. These doors can either have a wood veneer surface suitable for paint or staining or a composite wood surface suitable for paint. Our flush doors range from base residential flush doors consisting of unfinished composite wood, to the ultrahigh end exotic wood veneer doors.

Stile and rail doors are made from wood or MDF with individual vertical stiles, horizontal rails and panels, which have been cut, milled, veneered, and assembled from lumber such as clear pine, knotty pine, oak and cherry. Within our stile and rail line, glass panels can be inserted to create what is commonly referred to as a French door and we have over 50 glass designs for use in making French doors. Where horizontal slats are inserted between the stiles and rails, the resulting door is referred to as a louver door. For interior purposes stile and rail doors are primarily used for hallways, room dividers, closets and bathrooms. For exterior purposes these doors are used as entry doors with decorative glass inserts (known as lites) often inserted into these doors.

Routed MDF doors are produced by using a computer controlled router carver to machine a single piece of double refined MDF. Our routed MDF door category is comprised of two distinct product lines known as the Bolection® and CymaTM door. The offering of designs in this category is extensive, as the manufacturing of routed MDF doors is based on a routing program where the milling machine selectively removes material to reveal the final design.

Steel doors are exterior doors made by assembling two interlocking steel facings (paneled or flat) or attaching two steel facings to a wood or steel frame and injecting the core with polyurethane insulation. With our functional Utility Steel series, the design centric High Definition family, and the prefinished Sta-Tru® HD, we offer customers the freedom to select the right combination of design, protection, and compliance required for essentially any paint grade exterior door application. In addition, our product offering is significantly increased through our variety of compatible clear or decorative glass designs.

Fiberglass doors are considered premier exterior doors and are made by assembling two fiberglass door facings to a wood frame or composite material and injecting the core with polyurethane insulation. Led by the Barrington® door, our fiberglass door lines offer innovative designs, construction, and finishes. The Barrington® family of doors is specifically designed to replicate the construction, look, and feel of a real wood door. We believe that our patented panel designs, sophisticated wood grain texturing and multiple application-specific construction processes will help our Barrington® and Belleville® fiberglass lines retain a distinct role in the exterior product category in the future.

All of our residential doors can be pre-assembled into door frames.

Architectural Doors

Architectural doors are typically highly specified products designed, constructed, and tested to ensure regulatory compliance and that certification requirements such as FSC and LEED certifications are met. We offer an extensive line of architectural interior doors meeting custom market requirements and ranging from the entry level molded panel doors to the high end custom designed flush wood doors with exotic veneer inlay designs. Our architectural doors are molded panel, flush, stile and rail, or routed MDF and can be offered with radiation shielding as well as varying levels of fire and sound rating. Our architectural flush doors can also be produced with a laminate veneer facing. High pressure laminates are used when durability and aesthetics are the customer’s main concern, while low pressure laminates are utilized when consistency in surface color, texture, and value are equal requirements.

Components

In addition to residential and architectural doors, we also sell several door components to the building materials industry. Within the residential new construction market, we provide interior door facings, wheat straw door cores, MDF

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and wood cut-stock components to multiple manufacturers. Within the architectural building construction market, we are a leading component supplier of various critical door components and the largest wood veneer door skin supplier. Additionally, through our architectural door businesses, we are one of the leading providers of mineral and particleboard door cores to the North American door market.

Molded door facings are thin sheets of molded hardboard produced by grinding or defibrating wood chips, adding resin and other ingredients, creating a thick fibrous mat composed of dry wood fibers and pressing the mat between two steel presses to form a molded sheet, the surface of which may be smooth or may contain a wood grain pattern. Following pressing, molded door facings are trimmed, painted and shipped to door manufacturing plants where they are mounted on frames to produce molded doors.

Door framing materials, commonly referred to as cut stock, are wood or MDF components that constitute the frame on which interior and exterior door facings are attached.

Door cores are molded fiber mats or particleboard used in the construction of solid core doors. Where doors must achieve a fire rating higher than 45 minutes, the door core consists of an inert mineral core.

New Products

We develop and engineer innovative products designed to influence the mix of products sold and provide the end user with doors and entry systems that enhance beauty and functionality while creating greater value to our customers. For example, on average we have introduced over 200 new products or product designs in each of the past three years, including the Heritage Collection of doors that feature recessed, flat panels and sharp, Shaker-style profiles which speak to a clean, modern aesthetic while retaining comfortable familiarity found in today’s interiors. We also introduced our Vista Grande line of exterior fiberglass doors that integrate glass into the door in a seamless assembly, giving a wider view through the door and clean, modern design lines. In addition, we introduced our Storm Guard ™ line of fiberglass doors that utilize next-generation fiberglass reinforcement, allowing for a broad range of designs to meet stringent codes in hurricane-prone regions.

More consumers are requesting products that are factory finished and we have introduced two distinct approaches to supplying prefinished doors and entry systems. One is the more traditional and more economical application of applying paints and stains utilizing an automated spray on finish. The other is AvantGuardTM, a next generation digital ink jet printing technology that applies a superior finish to fiberglass doors that replicates exotic wood species and provides a longer lasting and more durable exterior finish and is available through both our retail and wholesale channel partners.
    
Sales and Marketing

Our sales and marketing efforts are focused around several key initiatives designed to drive organic growth, influence the mix sold and strengthen our customer relationships.

Multi-Level/Segment Distribution Strategy

We market our products through and to wholesale distributors, retail stores, independent and pro dealers, builders, remodelers, architects, door and hardware distributors and general contractors.

In the residential market, we deploy an “All Products” cross merchandising strategy, which provides our retail and wholesale customers with access to our entire product range. Our “All Products” customers benefit from consolidating their purchases, leveraging our branding, marketing and selling strategies and improving their ability to influence the mix of products sold to generate greater value. We service our big box retail customers directly from our own door fabrication facilities which provide value added services and logistics, including store direct delivery of doors and entry systems and a full complement of in-store merchandising, displays and field service. Our wholesale residential channel customers are managed by our own sales professionals who focus on down channel initiatives designed to ensure our products are “pulled” through our North American wholesale distribution network.


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Our architectural building construction customers are serviced by a separate and distinct sales team providing architects, door and hardware distributors, and general contractors and project owners a wide variety of technical specifications, specific brand differentiation, compliance and regulatory approvals, product application advice and multisegment specialization work across North America. Additionally, our sales team is supported by marketing strategies aimed to drive product specification throughout our value chains via distributors, architects and end users.

Service Innovation

We leverage our marketing, sales and customer service activities to ensure our products are strategically “pulled” through our multiple distribution channels rather than deploying a more common, tactical “push” strategy like some of our competitors. Our marketing approach is designed to increase the value of each and every door opening we fill with our doors and entry systems, regardless of the channel being used to access our products.

Our proprietary web based tools accessible on our website also provide our customers with a direct link to our information systems to allow for accelerated and easier access to a wide variety of information and selling aids designed to increase customer satisfaction. Our web based tools include MConnect, an online service allowing our customers access to several other E-Commerce tools designed to enhance the manufacturer/customer relationship. Once connected to our system, customers have access to MAX, Masonite’s Xpress Door Configurator, a web based tool created to design entry systems and influence the mix, improve selection and ordering processes, reduce order entry and quoting errors, and improve overall communication throughout the channel; MC2, our self-service, custom literature tool; the Product Corner, a section advising customers of the features and benefits of our newest products; Market Intelligence Section, which provides some of the latest economic statistics influencing our industry; the Treasure Chest, which is a collection of discontinued glass products providing customers with promotional based pricing on obsolete products; and Order Tracker, which allows customers to follow their purchase orders through the production process and confirm delivery dates. MConnectTM, in conjunction with our web site, improves transaction execution, enhances communication and information flow with our customers and their dealers providing a more customized buying experience.

New Market Segments and Geographies

We continue to expand in attractive segments of the residential and architectural door market in North America and in growing international markets.

We plan to expand our leading position in the North American architectural interior wood door market by increasing our focus in specific sectors within the market, such as education, health care and hospitality. We also plan to increase our presence in underserviced growing geographies in the United States such as west of the Rockies, Texas and the Southeast. Additionally, we believe we can expand our market growth in the architectural wood door market through the introduction of products with high design and performance attributes by focusing on certain markets within our Europe, Asia and Latin America segment.

We are also increasing our focus on multi-location in-home remodeling distributors and contractors. This channel is expected to grow with a shift in certain demographics from a “Do it Yourself” to a “Do it For You” offering. Using enhanced marketing, training and e-commerce tools, our teams will target specific multi-location remodeling distributors and contractors thereby increasing our overall presence in the important repair, renovation and remodeling business.

Customers

We sell our products worldwide to more than 7,000 customers. We have developed strong relationships with these customers through our “all products” cross merchandising strategy. Our vertical integration facilitates our all products strategy with our Dorfab facilities in particular providing value-added fabrication and logistical services to our customers, including store delivery of pre-hung interior and exterior doors to our customers in North America. All of our top 20 customers have purchased doors from us for at least 10 years.

Although we have a large number of customers worldwide, our largest customer, The Home Depot, accounted for approximately 17% of our total gross sales in fiscal year 2014. Due to the depth and breadth of the relationship with

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this customer, which operates in multiple North American geographic regions and which sells a variety of our products, our management believes that this relationship is likely to continue.

Distribution

Residential doors are primarily sold through wholesale and retail distribution channels.

Wholesale. In the wholesale channel, door manufacturers sell their products to homebuilders, contractors, lumber yards, dealers and building products retailers in two-steps or one step. Two-step distributors typically purchase doors from manufacturers in bulk and customize them by installing windows, or “lites,” and pre-hanging them. One-step distributors sell doors directly to homebuilders and remodeling contractors who install the doors.

Retail. The retail channel generally targets consumers and smaller remodeling contractors who purchase doors through retail home centers and smaller specialty retailers. Retail home centers offer large, warehouse size retail space with large selections, while specialty retailers are niche players that focus on certain styles and types of doors.

Architectural doors are primarily sold through one-step wholesale distribution channels where distributors sell to contractors and installers, or direct from manufacturers to contractors and installers.

Research and Development

We believe we are a leader in technological innovation and development in doors, door components and door entry systems and the manufacturing processes involved in making such products. We believe that research and development is a competitive advantage for us, and we intend to capitalize on our leadership in this area through the development of more new and innovative products. Our research and development and engineering capability enables us to develop and implement product and process improvements related to the manufacturing of our products that enhance manufacturing efficiency and reduce costs.

As an integrated manufacturer, we believe that we are well positioned to take advantage of the growing global demand for a variety of molded door facing designs. This capability is particularly important outside North America where we believe newer molded door designs are rapidly replacing traditional wood doors. We have an internal capability to create new molded door facing designs and manufacture our own molds for use in our own facilities. We believe this provides us with the ability to develop proprietary designs that enjoy a strong identity in the marketplace; more flexibility in meeting customer demand; quicker reaction time in the production of new designs or design changes; and greater responsiveness to customer needs. This capability also enables us to develop and implement product and process improvements with respect to the production of molded door facings and doors which enhance production efficiency and reduce costs.

In the past few years, our research and development activities, which we have concentrated in our 145,245 square foot innovation center in West Chicago, Illinois, have had a significant focus on process and material improvements in our products. These improvements have led to significant reductions in manufacturing costs and improvements in product quality. Research and development activities also resulted in several new products including exterior fiberglass doors with a finish that is applied through digital printing technology and branded under the trademark AvantGuard. We have also directed our design innovation to address the growing need for safety and security, sound dampening and fire and impact resistant products in the architectural wood door market.

Manufacturing Process

Our Manufacturing operations consist of three major manufacturing processes: (1) component manufacturing, (2) door slab assembly and (3) value-added ready to install door fabrication.

We have a leading position in the manufacturing of door components, including internal framing components (stile and rails), glass inserts (lites), door core, interior veneer and molded door facings, and exterior door facings. The

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manufacturing of interior molded door facings is the most complex of these processes requiring a significant investment in large scale wood fiber processing equipment. Interior molded door facings are produced by combining fine wood particles, synthetic resins and other additives under heat and pressure in large multi-opening automated presses utilizing Masonite proprietary steel plates. The facings are then painted, cut and inspected in a second highly automated continuous operation prior to being packed for shipping to our door assembly plants. We operate five interior molded door facing plants around the world, two in North America and one in each of South America, Europe and Asia. Our sole United States based plant in Laurel, Mississippi is the largest door facing plant in the world and we believe one of the most technologically advanced in the industry.

Interior residential hollow and solid core door manufacturing is an assembly operation that is primarily accomplished in the United States through the use of skilled manual labor. In 2012 we invested in a highly automated interior flush and molded door line in Denmark, South Carolina, which uses advanced engineering processes and quality control features. The automated line uses single piece flow principles to assemble doors more quickly and reliably than before, using improved internal components and advanced adhesive technologies. Whether manual or automated, the construction process for a standard flush or molded interior door is based on assembly of door facings and various internal framing and support components, following which doors are trimmed to their final specifications.

The assembly process varies by type of door, from a relatively simple process for flush and molded doors, where the door facings are glued to a wood frame, to more complex processes where many pieces of solid and engineered wood are converted to louver or stile and rail door slabs. Architectural interior doors require another level of customization and sophistication employing the use of solid cores with varying degrees of sound dampening and fire retarding attributes, furniture quality wood veneer facings, as well as secondary machining operations to incorporate more sophisticated commercial hardware, openers and locks.

The manufacturing of steel and fiberglass exterior door slabs is a semi-automated process that entails combining laminated wood or rot free composite framing components between two door facings and then injecting the resulting hollow core structure with insulating polyurethane expanding foam core materials. We invested in fiberglass manufacturing technology, including the vertical integration of our own fiberglass sheet molding compound plant at our Laurel, Mississippi, facility in 2006. In 2008 we consolidated fiberglass slab manufacturing from multiple locations throughout North America into a single highly automated facility in Dickson, Tennessee, significantly improving the reliability and quality of these products while simultaneously lowering cost and reducing lead times.

Short set-up times, proper production scheduling and coordinated material movement are essential to achieve a flexible process capable of producing a wide range of door types, sizes, materials and styles. We make use of our vertically integrated and flexible manufacturing operations together with scalable logistics primarily through the use of common carriers to fill customers’ orders and to minimize our investment in finished goods inventory.

Finally, interior flush and molded, stile and rail, louver and exterior door slabs manufactured at our door assembly plants are either sold directly to our customers or transferred to our door fabrication facilities where value added services are performed. These value added services include machining doors for hinges and locksets, installing the door slabs into ready to install frames, adding glass inserts and side lites, painting and staining, packaging and logistical services to large retail home center customers throughout North America.

Raw Materials

While Masonite is vertically integrated, we require a regular supply of raw materials, such as wood chips and cut stock, various composites, steel, glass, paint, stain and primer as well as petroleum-based products such as binders, resins and plastic injection frames to manufacture and assemble our products. Our materials cost accounts for approximately 55% of the total cost of the finished product. In certain instances, we depend on a single or limited number of suppliers for these supplies. Wood chips, logs, resins, binders and other additives utilized in the manufacturing of interior molded facings, exterior fiberglass door facings and door cores are purchased from global, regional and local suppliers taking into consideration the relative freight cost of these materials. Internal framing components, both solid and finger joint wood along with medium density fiberboard (MDF) cut stock plus internal door cores are manufactured internally at our facilities and supplemented externally as needed from suppliers located throughout the world. We utilize a network of suppliers based in North America, Europe, South America and Asia to purchase other components including

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steel coils for the stamping of steel door facings, MDF, plywood and hardboard facings, door jambs and frames and glass frames and inserts.

Safety

We believe that safety is as important to the success of the company as productivity and quality. We also believe that incidents can be prevented through proper management, employee involvement and attention to detail. Safety programs and training are provided throughout the company to ensure employees and managers have effective tools to help identify and address both unsafe conditions and at-risk behaviors.

Through a sustained commitment to improve our safety performance, we have been successful in reducing the number of injuries sustained by our employees. In 2014, we experienced a total incident rate of 1.6 compared to 3.4 in 2007, despite the fact that during this period we acquired 20 facilities which, at the time of acquisition, had an incident rate of more than twice the Masonite average.

Environmental and Other Regulatory Matters

We strive to minimize any adverse environmental impact our operations might have to our employees, the general public and the communities of which we are a part. We are subject to extensive environmental laws and regulations. The geographic breadth of our facilities subjects us to environmental laws, regulations and guidelines in a number of jurisdictions, including, among others, the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, France, the Czech Republic, Chile, Malaysia, India and South Africa. Such laws, regulations and guidelines relate to, among other things, the discharge of contaminants into water and air and onto land, the storage and handling of certain regulated materials used in the manufacturing process, waste minimization, the disposal of wastes and the remediation of contaminated sites. Many of our products are also subject to various regulations such as building and construction codes, product safety regulations, health and safety laws and regulations and mandates related to energy efficiency.

Our efforts to ensure environmental compliance include the review of our operations on an ongoing basis utilizing in-house staff and on a selective basis by specialized environmental consultants. The Environmental, Health and Safety team participates in industry groups to monitor developing regulatory actions and actively develop comments on specific issues. Furthermore, for our prospective acquisition targets, environmental assessments are conducted as part of our due diligence review process. Based on recent experience and current projections, environmental protection requirements and liabilities are not expected to have a material effect on our business, capital expenditures, operations or financial position.

In addition to the various environmental laws and regulations, our operations are subject to numerous foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations, including those relating to the presence of hazardous materials and protection of worker health and safety, consumer protection, trade, labor and employment, tax, and others. We believe we are in compliance in all material respects with existing applicable laws and regulations affecting our operations.

Intellectual Property

In North America, our doors are marketed primarily under the Masonite® brand. Other North American brands include: Premdor®, Belleville®, Barrington®, Oakcraft®, Sta-Tru® HD, AvantGuardTM, FlagstaffTM, HollisterTM, SierraTM, Specialty®, Fast-FrameTM, Safe ’N Sound®, Palazzo Series®, Heritage®, Bellagio®, Capri®, TrevisoTM, CheyenneTM, GlenviewTM, RiversideTM, SaddlebrookTM, West EndTM, Mohawk®, Marshfield®, Birchwood Best®, AlgomaTM, NovodorTM, ArtisanTM, Artisan SFTM, RhinoDoorTM, WeldrockTM, SuperstileTM, UnicolTM, LemieuxTM and Harring Doors.

In Europe, doors are marketed under the Masonite®, Premdor®, EkemTM, FonmartyTM, MagriTM, MonnerieTM, BatimetalTM, RabillonTM, CrosbyTM and Door-StopTM brands. We consider the use of trademarks and trade names to be important in the development of product awareness, and for differentiating products from competitors and between customers.
    

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We protect the intellectual property that we develop through, among other things, filing for patents in the United States and various foreign countries. In the United States, we currently have 192 design patents and design patent applications and 172 utility patents and patent applications. We currently have 105 foreign design patents and patent applications and 359 foreign utility patents and patent applications. Our patents are generally applicable for 14 years and our trademarks and trade names are generally applicable for 5 years and are renewable.

Competition

The North American door industry is highly competitive and includes a number of global and local participants. In the U.S. residential interior door market, the primary participants are Masonite and JELD-WEN, which are the only vertically integrated manufacturers of door facings. There are also a number of smaller competitors in the residential interior door market that primarily source door facings from third party suppliers. In the U.S. residential exterior door market, the primary participants are Masonite, JELD-WEN, Plastpro, Therma-Tru and Feather River. In the U.S. non-residential building construction door market, the primary participants are Masonite, VT Industries, Graham Wood Doors and Eggers Industries. Competition in these markets is primarily based on product quality, design characteristics, brand awareness, service ability, distribution capabilities and value.

We also face competition in the other countries we operate. Competitors based in Canada include other manufacturers that distribute on a national basis as well as smaller regional manufacturers, which focus on particular products. In Europe, South America, Asia and Africa, we face significant competition from a number of regionally based competitors and importers.

There is meaningful competition both in North America and Europe as several firms manufacture similar products using similar raw materials and manufacturing methods. In addition, due to the recent economic downturn there has been excess capacity in the industry.

A large portion of our products are sold through large home centers and other large retailers. The consolidation of our customers and our reliance on fewer larger customers has increased the competitive pressures as some of our largest customers, such as The Home Depot, perform periodic product line reviews to assess their product offerings.

We are one of the largest manufacturers of molded door facings in the world. The rest of the industry consists of one other large, integrated door manufacturer and a number of smaller regional manufacturers. Competition in the molded door facing business is based on quality, price, product design, logistics and customer service. We produce molded door facings to meet our own requirements and outside of North America we serve as an important supplier to the door industry at large. We manufacture molded door facings at our facilities in Mississippi, Ireland, Chile, Canada and Malaysia.

Employees

As of December 28, 2014, we employed approximately 10,300 employees and contract laborers. This includes approximately 3,500 unionized employees, approximately half of whom are located in various foreign locations with the remainder in North America. Employees in many European countries participate in industry-wide unions with centralized bargaining. Local issues are, however, typically negotiated separately.

History and Reporting Status

Masonite was founded in 1925 in Laurel, Mississippi, by William H. Mason, to utilize vastly available quantities of sawmill waste to manufacture a usable end product. Masonite was acquired by Premdor from International Paper Company in August 2001.

Prior to 2005, Masonite was a public company with shares of our predecessor’s common stock listed on both the New York and Toronto Stock Exchanges. In March 2005, we were acquired by an affiliate of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P.


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On March 16, 2009, Masonite International Corporation and several affiliated companies, voluntarily filed to reorganize under the Company's Creditors Arrangement Act, or the CCAA in Canada in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Additionally, Masonite International Corporation and Masonite Inc. (the former parent of the Company) and all of its U.S. subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of Delaware. On June 9, 2009, we emerged from reorganization proceedings under the CCAA in Canada and under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States.

Effective July 4, 2011, pursuant to an amalgamation under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), Masonite Inc. amalgamated with Masonite International Corporation to form an amalgamated corporation named Masonite Inc., which then changed its name to Masonite International Corporation.

On September 9, 2013, our shares commenced listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "DOOR" and we became subject to periodic reporting requirements under the United States federal securities laws. We are currently not a reporting issuer, or the equivalent, in any province or territory of Canada and our shares are not listed on any recognized Canadian stock exchange.

Our United States executive offices are located at One Tampa City Center, 201 North Franklin Street, Suite 300, Tampa, Florida 33602 and our Canadian executive offices are located at 2771 Rutherford Road, Concord, Ontario L4K 2N6 Canada.

Available Information

We make our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 available through our website, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. Our website is www.masonite.com. Information on our website does not constitute part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.


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Item 1A. Risk Factors
You should carefully consider the following factors in addition to the other information set forth in this Annual Report before investing in our common shares. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties that we do not presently know about or that we currently believe are immaterial may also adversely impact our business operations. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations would likely suffer. In such case, the trading price of our common shares could fall, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Business

Downward trends in our end markets or in economic conditions could negatively impact our business and financial performance.

Our business may be adversely impacted by changes in United States, Canadian, European, Asian, South American or global economic conditions, including inflation, deflation, interest rates, availability and cost of capital, consumer spending rates, energy availability and costs, and the effects of governmental initiatives to manage economic conditions. Volatility in the financial markets in the regions in which we operate and the deterioration of national and global economic conditions have in the past and could in the future materially adversely impact our operations, financial results and liquidity.

Trends in our primary end markets (residential new construction, repair, renovation and remodeling and non-residential building construction) directly impact our financial performance because they are directly correlated to the demand for doors and door components. Accordingly, the following factors may have a direct impact on our business in the countries and regions in which our products are sold:

the strength of the economy;
the amount and type of residential and non-residential construction;
housing sales and home values;
the age of existing home stock, home vacancy rates and foreclosures;
non-residential building occupancy rates;
increases in the cost of raw materials or any shortage in supplies or labor;
the availability and cost of credit;
employment rates and consumer confidence; and
demographic factors such as immigration and migration of the population and trends in household formation.

In the United States, the housing market crisis has had a negative impact on residential housing construction and related product suppliers and the housing market remains volatile. In addition, the current housing recovery is characterized by an increased number of multi-family new construction starts, which generally use fewer of our products and generate less net sales at a lower margin as compared to typical single family homes.

In many of the non-North American markets in which we manufacture and sell our products, including the United Kingdom, France, the Republic of Ireland, the Czech Republic, Chile, India, Malaysia and South Africa, economic conditions have deteriorated as various countries are suffering from the after effects of the global financial downturn that began in the United States in 2006. Our non-North American markets were acutely affected by the housing downturn and continue to suffer from excess capacity in housing and building products, including doors and door products, which may make it difficult for us to raise prices. Due in part to both market and operating conditions, we exited certain markets in the past several years, including the Ukraine, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Poland and Israel. We continue to evaluate such market and operating conditions and may take similar actions in the future.

Our relatively narrow focus within the building products industry amplifies the risks inherent in a prolonged global market downturn. The impact of this weakness on our net sales, net income and margins will be determined by many factors, including industry capacity, industry pricing, and our ability to implement our business plan.


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Increases in mortgage rates, changes in mortgage interest deductions and the reduced availability of financing for the purchase of new homes and home construction and improvements could have a material adverse impact on our sales and profitability.

In general, demand for new homes and home improvement products may be adversely affected by increases in mortgage rates and the reduced availability of consumer financing. Currently, mortgage rates are near historic lows and will likely increase in the future. If mortgage rates increase and, consequently, the ability of prospective buyers to finance purchases of new homes or home improvement products is adversely affected, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

Members of Congress and government officials have from time to time suggested the elimination of the mortgage interest deduction for federal income tax purposes, either entirely or in part, based on borrower income, type of loan or principal amount. Future changes in policies set to encourage home ownership and improvement, such as changes to the tax rules allowing for deductions of mortgage interest, may adversely impact demand for our products and have a material adverse impact on us.

Our performance may also depend upon consumers having the ability to finance the purchase of new homes and other buildings and repair and remodeling projects with credit from third-parties. The ability of consumers to finance these purchases is affected by such factors as new and existing home prices, homeowners’ equity values, interest rates and home foreclosures. Adverse developments affecting any of these factors could result in a tightening of lending standards by financial institutions and reduce the ability of some consumers to finance home purchases or repair and remodeling expenditures. The most recent economic downturn, including declining home and other building values, increased home foreclosures and tightening of credit standards by lending institutions, have negatively impacted the home and other building new construction and repair and remodeling sectors. If these credit market trends continue or worsen, our net sales and net income may be adversely affected.

We operate in a competitive business environment. If we are unable to compete successfully, we could lose customers and our sales could decline.

The building products industry is highly competitive. Some of our principal competitors may have greater financial, marketing and distribution resources than we do and may be less leveraged than we are, providing them with more flexibility to respond to new technology or shifting consumer demand. Accordingly, these competitors may be better able to withstand changes in conditions within the industry in which we operate and may have significantly greater operating and financial flexibility than we do. Also, certain of our competitors continue to have excess production capacity, which has led to pressure to decrease prices in order for us to remain competitive and has limited our ability to raise prices even in markets where economic and market conditions have improved. For these and other reasons, these competitors could take a greater share of sales and cause us to lose business from our customers or hurt our margins.

As a result of this competitive environment, we face pressure on the sales prices of our products. Because of these pricing pressures, we may in the future experience continued limited growth and reductions in our profit margins, sales or cash flows, and may be unable to pass on future raw material price, labor cost and other input cost increases to our customers which would also reduce profit margins.

Because we depend on a core group of significant customers, our sales, cash flows from operations and results of operations may be negatively affected if our key customers reduce the amount of products they purchase from us.

Our customers consist mainly of wholesalers and retail home centers. Our top ten major customers together accounted for approximately 38% of our net sales in fiscal year 2014, while our largest customer, The Home Depot, accounted for approximately 17% of our net sales in fiscal year 2014. We expect that a small number of customers will continue to account for a substantial portion of our net sales for the foreseeable future. However, net sales from customers that have accounted for a significant portion of our net sales in past periods, individually or as a group, may not continue in future periods, or if continued, may not reach or exceed historical levels in any period. For example, our largest customer, The Home Depot, performs periodic line reviews to assess its product offerings, which have, on past occasions, led to loss of business and pricing pressures. In addition, as a result of competitive bidding processes, we may not be able to increase or maintain the margins at which we sell our products to our most significant customers.

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Moreover, if any of these customers fails to remain competitive in the respective markets or encounters financial or operational problems, our net sales and profitability may decline. We generally do not enter into long-term contracts with our customers and they generally do not have an obligation to purchase products from us. Therefore, we could lose a significant customer with little or no notice. The loss of, or a significant adverse change in, our relationships with The Home Depot or any other major customer could cause a material decrease in our net sales.

Our competitors may adopt more aggressive sales policies and devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sale of their products than we do, which could result in a loss of customers. The loss of, or a reduction in orders from, any significant customers, losses arising from customer disputes regarding shipments, fees, merchandise condition or related matters, or our inability to collect accounts receivable from any major customer, could have a material adverse effect on us. Also, we have no operational or financial control over these customers and have limited influence over how they conduct their businesses.

Consolidation of our customers and their increasing size could adversely affect our results of operations.

In many of the countries in which we operate, an increasingly large number of building products are sold through large retail home centers and other large retailers. In addition, we have experienced consolidation of distributors in our wholesale distribution channel and among businesses operating in different geographic regions resulting in more customers operating nationally and internationally. If the consolidation of our customers and distributors were to continue, leading to the further increase of their size and purchasing power, we may be challenged to continue to provide consistently high customer service levels for increasing sales volumes, while still offering a broad portfolio of innovative products and on-time and complete deliveries. If we fail to provide high levels of service, broad product offerings, competitive prices and timely and complete deliveries, we could lose a substantial amount of our customer base and our profitability, margins and net sales could decrease.

If we are unable to accurately predict future demand preferences for our products, our business and results of operations could be materially affected.

A key element to our continued success is the ability to maintain accurate forecasting of future demand preferences for our products. Our business in general is subject to changing consumer and industry trends, demands and preferences. Changes to consumer shopping habits and potential trends towards "online" purchases could also impact our ability to compete as we currently sell our products exclusively through our distribution channel. Our continued success depends largely on the introduction and acceptance by our customers of new product lines and improvements to existing product lines that respond to such trends, demands and preferences. Trends within the industry change often and our failure to anticipate, identify or quickly react to changes in these trends could lead to, among other things, rejection of a new product line and reduced demand and price reductions for our products, and could materially adversely affect us. In addition, we are subject to the risk that new products could be introduced that would replace or reduce demand for our products. Furthermore, new proprietary designs and/or changes in manufacturing technologies may render our products obsolete or we may not be able to manufacture products or designs at prices that would be competitive in the marketplace. We may not have sufficient resources to make necessary investments or we may be unable to make the investments or acquire the intellectual property rights necessary to develop new products or improve our existing products.

Our business is seasonal which may affect our net sales, cash flows from operations and results of operations.

Our business is moderately seasonal and our sales vary from quarter to quarter based upon the timing of the building season in our markets. Severe weather conditions in any quarter, such as unusually prolonged warm or cold conditions, rain, blizzards or hurricanes, could accelerate, delay or halt construction and renovation activity. The impact of these types of events on our business may adversely impact our sales, cash flows from operations and results of operations. If sales were to fall substantially below what we would normally expect during certain periods, our annual financial results would be adversely impacted. Moreover, our facilities are vulnerable to severe weather conditions.


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A disruption in our operations could materially affect our operating results.

We operate facilities worldwide. Many of our facilities are located in areas that are vulnerable to hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters. In the event that a hurricane, earthquake, natural disaster, fire or other catastrophic event were to interrupt our operations for any extended period of time, particularly at one or more of our door facing facilities or architectural door plants, such as when Marshfield experienced an autoclave explosion in July 2011, prior to our acquisition, or when our mill located in Estcourt, South Africa, experienced an explosion in its power plant in 2014, it could delay shipment of merchandise to our customers, damage our reputation or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Closure of one of our door facing facilities, which are our most capital intensive and least replaceable production facilities, could have a substantial negative effect on our earnings.

In addition, our operations may be interrupted by terrorist attacks or other acts of violence or war. These attacks may directly impact our suppliers’ or customers’ physical facilities. Furthermore, these attacks may make travel and the transportation of our supplies and products more difficult and more expensive and ultimately affect our operating results. The United States has entered into, and may enter into, additional armed conflicts which could have a further impact on our sales and our ability to deliver product to our customers in the United States and elsewhere. Political and economic instability in some regions of the world, including the current instabilities in the Middle East and North Africa, may also negatively impact our business. The consequences of any of these armed conflicts are unpredictable, and we may not be able to foresee events that could have an adverse effect on our business or your investment. More generally, any of these events could cause consumer confidence and spending to decrease or result in increased volatility in the United States and worldwide financial markets and economy. They could also result in economic recession in the United States or abroad. Any of these occurrences could have a significant impact on our operating results.

Manufacturing realignments may result in a decrease in our short-term earnings, until the expected cost reductions are achieved, as well as reduce our flexibility to respond quickly to improved market conditions.

We continually review our manufacturing operations and sourcing capabilities. Effects of periodic manufacturing realignments and cost savings programs have in the past and could in the future result in a decrease in our short-term earnings until the expected cost reductions are achieved. We also cannot assure you we will achieve all of our cost savings. Such programs may include the consolidation, integration and upgrading of facilities, functions, systems and procedures. The success of these efforts will depend in part on market conditions, and such actions may not be accomplished as quickly as anticipated and the expected cost reductions may not be achieved or sustained.

In connection with our manufacturing realignment and cost savings programs, we have closed or consolidated a substantial portion of our global operations and significantly reduced our personnel, which may reduce our flexibility to respond quickly to improved market conditions. As a result, a failure to anticipate a sharp increase in levels of residential new construction, residential repair, renovation and remodeling and non-residential building construction activity could result in operational difficulties, adversely impacting our ability to provide our products to our customers. This may result in the loss of business to our competitors in the event they are better able to forecast or respond to market demand. There can be no assurance that we will be able to accurately forecast the level of market demand or react in a timely manner to such changes, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to the credit risk of our customers.

We provide credit to our customers in the normal course of business. We generally do not require collateral in extending such credit. An increase in the exposure, coupled with material instances of default, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

Increased prices for raw materials or finished goods used in our products or interruptions in deliveries of raw materials or finished goods could adversely affect our profitability, margins and net sales.

Our profitability is affected by the prices of raw materials and finished goods used in the manufacture of our products. These prices have fluctuated and may continue to fluctuate based on a number of factors beyond our control,

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including world oil prices, changes in supply and demand, general economic or environmental conditions, labor costs, competition, import duties, tariffs, currency exchange rates and, in some cases, government regulation. The commodities we use may undergo major price fluctuations and there is no certainty that we will be able to pass these costs through to our customers. Significant increases in the prices of raw materials or finished goods are more difficult to pass through to customers in a short period of time and may negatively impact our short-term profitability, margins and net sales. In the current competitive environment, opportunities to pass on these cost increases to our customers may be limited.

We require a regular supply of raw materials, such as wood, wood composites, cut stock, steel, glass, core material, paint, stain and primer as well as petroleum-based products such as binders, resins and frames. In certain instances, we depend on a single or limited number of suppliers for these supplies. We typically do not have long-term contracts with our suppliers. If we are not able to accurately forecast our supply needs, the limited number of suppliers may make it difficult to obtain additional raw materials to respond to shifting or increased demand. Our dependency upon regular deliveries from particular suppliers means that interruptions or stoppages in such deliveries could adversely affect our operations until arrangements with alternate suppliers could be made. Furthermore, because our products and the components of some of our products are subject to regulation, such alternative suppliers, even if available, may not be substituted until regulatory approvals for such substitution are received, thereby delaying our ability to respond to supply changes. Moreover, some of our raw materials, especially those that are petroleum or chemical based, interact with other raw materials used in the manufacture of our products and therefore significant lead time may be required to procure a compatible substitute. Substitute materials may also not be of the same quality as our original materials.

If any of our suppliers were unable to deliver materials to us for an extended period of time (including as a result of delays in land or sea shipping), or if we were unable to negotiate acceptable terms for the supply of materials with these or alternative suppliers, our business could suffer. In the future, we may not be able to find acceptable supply alternatives, and any such alternatives could result in increased costs for us. Even if acceptable alternatives are found, the process of locating and securing such alternatives might be disruptive to our business.

Furthermore, raw material prices could increase, and supply could decrease, if other industries compete with us for such materials. For example, we are highly dependent upon our supply of wood chips used for the production of our door facings and wood composite materials. In Europe, we are experiencing supply pressure and increased prices for wood chips due to the high demand for wood chips for alternative energy applications. Failure to obtain significant supply may disrupt our operations and even if we are able to obtain sufficient supply, we may not be able to pass increased supply costs on to our customers in the form of price increases, thereby resulting in reduced margins and profits.

A rapid and prolonged increase in fuel prices may significantly increase our costs and have an adverse impact on our results of operations.

Fuel prices remain volatile and are significantly influenced by international, political and economic circumstances. While fuel prices have recently fallen, this decline may not be permanent and if price increases were to arise for any reason, including fuel supply shortages or unusual price volatility, the resulting higher fuel prices could materially increase our shipping costs, adversely affecting our results of operations. In addition, competitive pressures in our industry may have the effect of inhibiting our ability to reflect these increased costs in the prices of our products.

We are highly dependent on information technology, the disruption of which could significantly impede our ability to do business.

Our operations depend on our network of information technology systems, which are vulnerable to damage from hardware failure, fire, power loss, telecommunications failure, impacts of terrorism, breaches in security (such as the actions of computer hackers), natural disasters, or other disasters. We have not experienced any material breaches in security in our recent history. Our information technology systems allow us to accurately maintain books and records, record transactions, provide information to management and prepare our financial statements. We may not have sufficient redundant operations to cover a loss or failure in a timely manner. Any damage to our information technology systems could cause interruptions to our operations that materially adversely affect our ability to meet customers’ requirements, resulting in an adverse impact to our business, financial condition and results of operations. Periodically, these systems need to be expanded, updated or upgraded as our business needs change. For example, we are in the

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process of implementing a new enterprise resource planning system in our architectural business. We may not be able to successfully implement changes in our information technology systems without experiencing difficulties, which could require significant financial and human resources. Moreover, our recent technological initiatives and increasing dependence on technology may exacerbate this risk.

Increases in labor costs, potential labor disputes and work stoppages at our facilities or the facilities of our suppliers could materially adversely affect our financial performance.

Our financial performance is affected by the availability of qualified personnel and the cost of labor. We have approximately 10,300 employees worldwide, including approximately 3,500 unionized workers. Employees represented by these unions are subject to collective bargaining agreements that are subject to periodic negotiation and renewal, including our agreements with employees and their respective work councils in Chile, France, Mexico, United Kingdom and South Africa which are subject to annual negotiation. If we are unable to enter into new, satisfactory labor agreements with our unionized employees upon expiration of their agreements, we could experience a significant disruption of our operations, which could cause us to be unable to deliver products to customers on a timely basis. If our workers were to engage in strikes, such as the four week labor strike we experienced at our South African facility in 2011, a work stoppage or other slowdowns, we could also experience disruptions of our operations. Such disruptions could result in a loss of business and an increase in our operating expenses, which could reduce our net sales and profit margins. In addition, our non-unionized labor force may become subject to labor union organizing efforts, which could cause us to incur additional labor costs and increase the related risks that we now face.

We believe many of our direct and indirect suppliers and customers also have unionized workforces. Strikes, work stoppages or slowdowns experienced by these suppliers and customers could result in slowdowns or closures of facilities where components of our products are manufactured or delivered. For example, a national transportation workers’ strike in South Africa in the third and fourth quarters of 2012 adversely impacted our net sales. Any interruption in the production or delivery of these components could reduce sales, increase costs and have a material adverse effect on us.

Our pension obligations are currently underfunded. We may have to make significant cash payments to our pension plans, which would reduce the cash available for our business.

As of December 28, 2014, our accumulated benefit obligations under our United States and United Kingdom defined benefit pension plans exceeded the fair value of plan assets by $25.6 million and $8.5 million, respectively. During the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012, we contributed $5.4 million, $3.2 million and $6.3 million, respectively, to the United States pension plan and $0.8 million, $0.9 million and $0.8 million, respectively, to the United Kingdom pension plan. Additional contributions will be required in future years. We currently anticipate making $5.2 million and $0.8 million of contributions to our United States and United Kingdom pension plans, respectively, in 2015. If the performance of the assets in our pension plans does not meet our expectations or other actuarial assumptions are modified, our contributions to our pension plans could be materially higher than we expect, which would reduce the cash available for our businesses. In addition, our United States pension plans are subject to Title IV of the United States Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, or ERISA. Under ERISA, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, or the PBGC, generally has the authority to terminate an underfunded pension plan if the possible long-run loss to the PBGC with respect to the plan may reasonably be expected to increase substantially if the plan is not terminated. In the event our pension plans are terminated for any reason while the plans are underfunded, we may incur a liability to the PBGC which could be equal to the entire amount of the underfunding.

Our recent acquisitions and any future acquisitions, if available, could be difficult to integrate and could adversely affect our operating results.

In the past several years we completed several strategic acquisitions of door and door component manufacturers in North America and the United Kingdom. Historically, we have made acquisitions to vertically integrate and expand our operations, such as our acquisitions of Harring Doors Corporation ("Harring") and Door-Stop International Limited ("Door-Stop") in 2014; the assets of a door manufacturing operation located in Chile (the “Chile” acquisition) in 2013; Portes Lemieux Inc. (“Lemieux”), Algoma Holding Company (“Algoma”), and Les Portes Baillargeon, Inc. (“Baillargeon”) in 2012; and Birchwood Lumber & Veneer Co., Inc. (“Birchwood”) and Porta Industries, Inc.

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(“Marshfield”) in 2011. From time to time, we have evaluated and we continue to evaluate possible acquisition transactions on an on-going basis. At any time we may be engaged in discussions or negotiations with respect to possible acquisitions or may have entered into non-binding letters of intent. As part of our strategy, we expect to continue to pursue complementary acquisitions and investments and may expand into product lines or businesses with which we have little or no operating experience. For example, future acquisitions may involve building product categories other than doors. We may also engage in further vertical integration. However, we may face competition for attractive targets and we may not be able to source appropriate acquisition targets at prices acceptable to us, or at all. In addition, in order to pursue our acquisition strategy, we will need significant liquidity, which, as a result of the other factors described herein, may not be available on terms favorable to us, or at all.

Our recent and any future acquisitions involve a number of risks, including:

our inability to integrate the acquired business;
our inability to manage acquired businesses or control integration and other costs relating to acquisitions;
our lack of experience with a particular business should we invest in a new product line;
diversion of management attention;
our failure to achieve projected synergies or cost savings;
impairment of goodwill affecting our reported net income;
our inability to retain the management or other key employees of the acquired business;
our inability to establish uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies;
our inability to retain customers of our acquired companies;
risks associated with the internal controls of acquired companies;
exposure to legal claims for activities of the acquired business prior to the acquisition;
our due diligence procedures could fail to detect material issues related to the acquired business;
unforeseen management and operational difficulties, particularly if we acquire assets or businesses in new foreign jurisdictions where we have little or no operational experience;
damage to our reputation as a result of performance or customer satisfaction problems relating to an acquired businesses;
the performance of any acquired business could be lower than we anticipated; and
our inability to enforce indemnifications and non-compete agreements.

The integration of any future acquisition into our business will likely require substantial time, effort, attention and dedication of management resources and may distract our management in unpredictable ways from our ordinary operations. The integration may also result in consolidation of certain existing operations. If we cannot successfully execute on our investments on a timely basis, we may be unable to generate sufficient net sales to offset acquisition, integration or expansion costs, we may incur costs in excess of what we anticipate, and our expectations of future results of operations, including cost savings and synergies, may not be achieved. If we are not able to effectively manage recent or future acquisitions or realize their anticipated benefits, it may harm our results of operations.

We are exposed to political, economic and other risks that arise from operating a multinational business.

We have operations in the United States, Canada, Europe and, to a lesser extent, other foreign jurisdictions. In the year ended December 28, 2014, approximately 76.0% of our net sales were in North America, 21.0% in Europe, Asia and Latin America and 3.0% in Africa. Further, certain of our businesses obtain raw materials and finished goods from foreign suppliers. Accordingly, our business is subject to political, economic and other risks that are inherent in operating in numerous countries.

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These risks include:

the difficulty of enforcing agreements and collecting receivables through foreign legal systems;
trade protection measures and import or export licensing requirements;
tax rates in foreign countries and the imposition of withholding requirements on foreign earnings;
the imposition of tariffs or other restrictions;
difficulty in staffing and managing widespread operations and the application of foreign labor regulations;
required compliance with a variety of foreign laws and regulations; and
changes in general economic and political conditions in countries where we operate.

Our business success depends in part on our ability to anticipate and effectively manage these and other risks. We cannot assure you that these and other factors will not have a material adverse effect on our international operations or on our business as a whole.

Fluctuating exchange and interest rates could adversely affect our financial results.

Our financial results may be adversely affected by fluctuating exchange rates. Net sales generated outside of the United States were approximately 42% for the year ended December 28, 2014. In addition, a significant percentage of our costs during the same period were not denominated in U.S. dollars. For example, for most of our manufacturing facilities, the prices for a significant portion of our raw materials are quoted in the domestic currency of the country where the facility is located or other currencies that are not U.S. dollars. We also have substantial assets outside the United States. As a result, the volatility in the price of the U.S. dollar has exposed, and in the future may continue to expose, us to currency exchange risks. For example, we are subject to currency exchange rate risk to the extent that some of our costs will be denominated in currencies other than those in which we earn revenues. Also, since our financial statements are denominated in U.S. dollars, changes in currency exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and other currencies have had, and will continue to have, an impact on many aspects of our financial results. Changes in currency exchange rates for any country in which we operate may require us to raise the prices of our products in that country and may result in the loss of business to our competitors that sell their products at lower prices in that country.

Moreover, as our current indebtedness is denominated in a currency that is different from the currencies in which we derive a significant portion of our net sales, we are also exposed to currency exchange rate risk with respect to those financial obligations. When the outstanding indebtedness is repaid, we may be subject to taxes on any corresponding foreign currency gain.

Borrowings under our current ABL Facility are incurred at variable rates of interest, which exposes us to interest rate fluctuation risk. If interest rates increase, the payments we are required to make on any variable rate indebtedness will increase.

We may fail to continue to innovate, face claims that we infringe third party intellectual property rights, or be unable to protect our intellectual property from infringement by others except by incurring substantial costs as a result of litigation or other proceedings relating to patent or trademark rights, any of which could cause our net sales or profitability to decline.

Our continued success depends on our ability to develop and introduce new or improved products, to improve our manufacturing and product service processes, and to protect our rights to the technologies used in our products. If we fail to do so, or if existing or future competitors achieve greater success than we do in these areas, our results of operations and our profitability may decline.
    
We rely on a combination of United States, Canadian and, to a lesser extent, European patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws as well as licenses, nondisclosure, confidentiality and other contractual restrictions to protect certain aspects of our business. We have registered trademarks, copyrights and our patent and trademark applications may not be allowed by the applicable governmental authorities to issue as patents or register as trademarks at all, or in a form that will be advantageous to us. In addition, we have selectively pursued patent and trademark protection, and in some instances we may not have registered important patent and trademark rights in these and other

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countries. Furthermore, the laws of foreign countries may not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. The failure to obtain worldwide patent and trademark protection may result in other companies copying and marketing products based upon our technologies or under our brand or trade names outside the jurisdictions in which we are protected. This could impede our growth in existing regions and into new regions, create confusion among consumers and result in a greater supply of similar products that could erode prices for our protected products.

Our success depends in part on our ability to protect our patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and licensed intellectual property from unauthorized use by others. We cannot be sure that the patents we have obtained, or other protections such as confidentiality, trade secrets and copyrights, will be adequate to prevent imitation of our products by others. If we are unable to protect our products through the enforcement of intellectual property rights, our ability to compete based on our current advantages may be harmed. If we fail to prevent substantial unauthorized use of our trade secrets, we risk the loss of those intellectual property rights and whatever competitive advantage they embody.

Although we are not aware that any of our products or intellectual property rights materially infringe upon the proprietary rights of third parties, third parties may accuse us of infringing or misappropriating their patents, trademarks, copyrights or trade secrets. Third parties may also challenge our trademark rights and branding practices in the future. We may be required to institute or defend litigation to defend ourselves from such accusations or to enforce our patent, trademark and copyright rights from unauthorized use by others, which, regardless of the outcome, could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could negatively affect our competitive position, sales, profitability and reputation. If we lose a patent infringement suit, we may be liable for money damages and be enjoined from selling the infringing product unless we can obtain a license or are able to redesign our product to avoid infringement. A license may not be available at all or on terms acceptable to us, and we may not be able to redesign our products to avoid any infringement, which could negatively affect our profitability. In addition, our patents, trademarks and other proprietary rights may be subject to various attacks claiming they are invalid or unenforceable. These attacks might invalidate, render unenforceable or otherwise limit the scope of the protection that our patents and trademarks afford. If we lose the use of a product name, our efforts spent building that brand may be lost and we will have to rebuild a brand for that product, which we may or may not be able to do. Even if we prevail in a patent infringement suit, there is no assurance that third parties will not be able to design around our patents, which could harm our competitive position.

If we are unable to replace our expiring patents, our ability to compete both domestically and internationally will be harmed. In addition, our products face the risk of obsolescence, which, if realized, could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We depend on our door manufacturing intellectual property and products to generate revenue. Some of our patents will begin to expire in the next several years. While we will continue to work to add to our patent portfolio to protect the intellectual property of our products, we believe it is possible that new competitors will emerge in door manufacturing. We do not know whether we will be able to develop additional proprietary designs, processes or products. If any protection we obtain is reduced or eliminated, others could use our intellectual property without compensating us, resulting in harm to our business. Moreover, as our patents expire, competitors may utilize the information found in such patents to commercialize their own products. While we seek to offset the losses relating to important expiring patents by securing additional patents on commercially desirable improvements, and new products, designs and processes, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in securing such additional patents, or that such additional patents will adequately offset the effect of the expiring patents.

Further, we face the risk that third parties will succeed in developing or marketing products that would render our products obsolete or noncompetitive. New, less expensive methods could be developed that replace or reduce the demand for our products or may cause our customers to delay or defer purchasing our products. Accordingly, our success depends in part upon our ability to respond quickly to market changes through the development and introduction of new products. The relative speed with which we can develop products, complete regulatory clearance or approval processes and supply commercial quantities of the products to the market are expected to be important competitive factors. Any delays could result in a loss of market acceptance and market share. We cannot provide assurance that our new product development efforts will result in any commercially successful products.


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We may be the subject of product liability claims or product recalls, we may not accurately estimate costs related to such claims or recalls, and we may not have sufficient insurance coverage available to cover potential liabilities.

Our products are used and have been used in a wide variety of residential and architectural applications. We face an inherent business risk of exposure to product liability or other claims, including class action lawsuits, in the event our products are alleged to be defective or that the use of our products is alleged to have resulted in harm to others or to property. We may in the future incur liability if product liability lawsuits against us are successful. Moreover, any such lawsuits, whether or not successful, could result in adverse publicity to us, which could cause our sales to decline materially. In addition, it may be necessary for us to recall defective products, which would also result in adverse publicity, as well as resulting in costs connected to the recall and loss of net sales. We maintain insurance coverage to protect us against product liability claims, but that coverage may not be adequate to cover all claims that may arise or we may not be able to maintain adequate insurance coverage in the future at an acceptable cost. Any liability not covered by insurance or that exceeds our established reserves could materially and adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, consistent with industry practice, we provide warranties on many of our products and we may experience costs of warranty or breach of contract claims if our products have defects in manufacture or design or they do not meet contractual specifications. We estimate our future warranty costs based on historical trends and product sales, but we may fail to accurately estimate those costs and thereby fail to establish adequate warranty reserves for them.

The loss of certain members of our management may have an adverse effect on our operating results.

Our success will depend, in part, on the efforts of our senior management and other key employees. These individuals possess sales, marketing, engineering, manufacturing, financial and administrative skills and know-how that are critical to the operation of our business. If we lose or suffer an extended interruption in the services of one or more of our senior officers or other key employees, our financial condition and results of operations may be negatively affected. Moreover, the pool of qualified individuals may be highly competitive and we may not be able to attract and retain qualified personnel to replace or succeed members of our senior management or other key employees, should the need arise. The loss of the services of any key personnel, or our inability to hire new personnel with the requisite skills, could impair our ability to develop new products or enhance existing products, sell products to our customers or manage our business effectively.

Lack of transparency, threat of fraud, public sector corruption and other forms of criminal activity involving government officials increases risk for potential liability under anti-bribery or anti-fraud legislation, including the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

We operate facilities in 10 countries and sell our products in 80 countries around the world. As a result of these international operations, we may enter from time to time into negotiations and contractual arrangements with parties affiliated with foreign governments and their officials. In connection with these activities, we are subject to the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or the FCPA, the United Kingdom Bribery Act and other anti-bribery laws that prohibit improper payments or offers of payments to foreign governments and their officials and political parties by United States and other business entities for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business, or otherwise receiving discretionary favorable treatment of any kind and requires the maintenance of internal controls to prevent such payments. In particular, we may be held liable for actions taken by our local partners and agents in foreign countries where we operate, even though such parties are not always subject to our control. As part of our Masonite Values Operating Guide we have established FCPA and other anti-bribery policies and procedures and offer several channels for raising concerns in an effort to comply with applicable U.S. and international laws and regulations. However, there can be no assurance that our policies and procedures will effectively prevent us from violating these laws and regulations in every transaction in which we may engage. Any determination that we have violated the FCPA or other anti-bribery laws (whether directly or through acts of others, intentionally or through inadvertence) could result in sanctions that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
    
As we continue to expand our business globally, we may have difficulty anticipating and effectively managing these and other risks that our international operations may face, which may adversely impact our business outside of

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North America and our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, any acquisition of businesses with operations outside of North America may exacerbate this risk.

Environmental requirements and other government regulation may impose significant environmental and legal compliance costs and liabilities on us.

Our operations are subject to numerous Canadian (federal, provincial and local), United States (federal, state and local), European (European Union, national and local) and other laws and regulations relating to pollution and the protection of human health and the environment, including, without limitation, those governing emissions to air, discharges to water, storage, treatment and disposal of waste, releases of contaminants or hazardous or toxic substances, remediation of contaminated sites and protection of worker health and safety. From time to time, our facilities are subject to investigation by governmental regulators. Despite our efforts to comply with environmental requirements, we are at risk of being subject to civil, administrative or criminal enforcement actions, of being held liable, of being subject to an order or of incurring costs, fines or penalties for, among other things, releases of contaminants or hazardous or toxic substances occurring on or emanating from currently or formerly owned or operated properties or any associated offsite disposal location, or for contamination discovered at any of our properties from activities conducted by us or by previous occupants. Although, with the exception of costs incurred relating to compliance with Maximum Achievable Control Technology requirements (as described below), we have not incurred significant costs for environmental matters in prior years, future expenditures required to comply with any changes in environmental requirements are anticipated to be undertaken as part of our ongoing capital investment program, which is primarily designed to improve the efficiency of our various manufacturing processes. The amount of any resulting liabilities, costs, fines or penalties may be material.

In addition, the requirements of such laws and enforcement policies have generally become more stringent over time. Changes in environmental laws and regulations or in their enforcement or the discovery of previously unknown or unanticipated contamination or non-compliance with environmental laws or regulations relating to our properties or operations could result in significant environmental liabilities or costs which could adversely affect our business. In addition, we might incur increased operating and maintenance costs and capital expenditures and other costs to comply with increasingly stringent air emission control laws or other future requirements (such as, in the United States, those relating to compliance with Maximum Achievable Control Technology requirements under the Clean Air Act, for which we made capital expenditures totaling approximately $49 million from 2008 through 2010), which may decrease our cash flow. Also, discovery of currently unknown or unanticipated conditions could require responses that would result in significant liabilities and costs. Accordingly, we are unable to predict the ultimate costs of compliance with or liability under environmental laws, which may be larger than current projections.

Changes in government regulation may have a material effect on our results of operations.

Our manufacturing facilities are subject to numerous foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations, including those relating to the presence of hazardous materials and protection of worker health and safety. Liability under these laws involves inherent uncertainties. Changes in such laws and regulations or in their enforcement could significantly increase our costs of operations which could adversely affect our business. Violations of health and safety laws are subject to civil, and, in some cases, criminal sanctions. As a result of these uncertainties, we may incur unexpected interruptions to operations, fines, penalties or other reductions in income which could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Further, in order for our products to obtain the energy efficient “ENERGYSTAR” label, they must meet certain requirements set by the Environmental Protection Agency, or the EPA. Changes in the energy efficiency requirements established by the EPA for the ENERGYSTAR label could increase our costs, and, if there is a lapse in our ability to label our products as such or we are not able to comply with the new standards at all, negatively affect our net sales and results of operations.

Moreover, many of our products are regulated by building codes and require specific fire, penetration or wind resistance characteristics. A change in the building codes could have a material impact on the manufacturing cost for these products, which we may not be able to pass on to our customers.


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In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulations implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, and the stock exchanges are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time-consuming. We are currently evaluating and monitoring developments with respect to new and proposed rules and cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices.

We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business may be harmed. We also expect that being a public company and these new rules and regulations will make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee and compensation committee, and attract and retain qualified executive officers.

To service our consolidated indebtedness, we will require a significant amount of cash. Our ability to generate cash depends on many factors beyond our control, and any failure to meet our debt service obligations could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our estimated annual payment obligation for 2015 with respect to our consolidated indebtedness is $41.3 million of interest payments. If we draw funds under the ABL Facility, we will incur additional interest expense. Our ability to pay interest on and principal of the senior notes and our ability to satisfy our other debt obligations will principally depend upon our future operating performance. As a result, prevailing economic conditions and financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, will affect our ability to make these payments.
    
If we do not generate sufficient cash flow from operations to satisfy our consolidated debt service obligations, we may have to undertake alternative financing plans, such as refinancing or restructuring our indebtedness, selling assets, reducing or delaying capital investments or seeking to raise additional capital. Our ability to restructure or refinance our debt will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. Any refinancing of our debt could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants, which could further restrict our business operations. In addition, the terms of existing or future debt instruments, including the ABL Facility and the indenture governing the senior notes, may restrict us from adopting some of these alternatives. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our debt service obligations, or to refinance our obligations on commercially reasonable terms, it would have an adverse effect, which could be material, on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Under such circumstances, we may be unable to comply with the provisions of our debt instruments, including the financial covenants in the ABL Facility. If we are unable to satisfy such covenants or other provisions at any future time, we would need to seek an amendment or waiver of such financial covenants or other provisions. The lenders under the ABL Facility may not consent to any amendment or waiver requests that we may make in the future, and, if they do consent, they may not do so on terms which are favorable to us. The lenders will also have the right in these circumstances to terminate any commitments they have to provide further borrowings. If we are unable to obtain any such waiver or amendment, our inability to meet the financial covenants or other provisions of the ABL Facility would constitute an event of default thereunder, which would permit the lenders to accelerate repayment of borrowings under the ABL Facility, which in turn would constitute an event of the default under the indenture governing the senior notes, permitting the holders of the senior notes to accelerate payment thereon. Our assets and/or cash flow, and/or that of our subsidiaries, may not be sufficient to fully repay borrowings under our outstanding debt instruments if accelerated upon an event of default, and the secured lenders under the ABL Facility could proceed against the collateral securing that

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indebtedness. Such events would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as on our ability to satisfy our obligations in respect of the senior notes.

The terms of the ABL Facility and the indenture governing the senior notes may restrict our current and future operations, particularly our ability to respond to changes in our business or to take certain actions.

The credit agreement governing the ABL Facility and the indenture governing the senior notes contain, and the terms of any future indebtedness of ours would likely contain, a number of restrictive covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions, including restrictions on our ability to engage in acts that may be in our best long-term interests. The indenture governing the senior notes and the credit agreements governing the ABL Facility include covenants that, among other things, restrict our and our subsidiaries’ ability to:

incur additional indebtedness and issue disqualified or preferred stock;
make restricted payments;
sell assets;
create restrictions on the ability of their restricted subsidiaries to pay dividends or distributions;
create or incur liens;
enter into sale and lease-back transactions;
merge or consolidate with other entities; and
enter into transactions with affiliates.
    
The operating and financial restrictions and covenants in the debt agreements we will enter into in connection with this offering and the ABL Facility and any future financing agreements may adversely affect our ability to finance future operations or capital needs or to engage in other business activities.

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Shares

Our share price may change significantly and you could lose all or part of your investment as a result.

The trading price of our common shares could fluctuate due to a number of factors such as those listed in “Risks Related to Our Business” and the following, some of which are beyond our control:

quarterly variations in our results of operations;
results of operations that vary from the expectations of securities analysts and investors;
results of operations that vary from those of our competitors;
changes in expectations as to our future financial performance, including financial estimates by securities analysts and investors;
announcements by us, our competitors or our vendors of significant contracts, acquisitions, joint marketing relationships, joint ventures or capital commitments;
announcements by third parties of significant claims or proceedings against us;
future sales of our common shares; and
general domestic and international economic conditions.

Furthermore, the stock market has experienced extreme volatility that, in some cases, has been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common shares, regardless of our actual operating performance.

In the past, following periods of market volatility, shareholders have instituted securities class action litigation. If we were involved in securities litigation, it could have a substantial cost and divert resources and the attention of executive management from our business regardless of the outcome of such litigation.


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The availability of shares for sale in the future could reduce the market price of our common shares.

In the future, we may issue securities to raise cash for acquisitions or otherwise. We may also acquire interests in other companies by using a combination of cash and our common shares or just our common shares. We may also issue securities convertible into our common shares. Any of these events may dilute your ownership interest in our company and have an adverse impact on the price of our common shares.

In addition, sales of a substantial amount of our common shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales may occur, could reduce the market price of our common shares. This could also impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of our securities.

Because we do not currently intend to pay cash dividends on our common shares for the foreseeable future, you may not receive any return on investment unless you sell your common shares for a price greater than that which you paid for it.

We currently intend to retain future earnings, if any, for future operation, expansion and debt repayment and do not intend to pay any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, cash requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. Our ABL Facility and the indenture governing our senior notes contain, and the terms of any future indebtedness we or our subsidiaries incur may contain, limitations on our ability to pay dividends. As a result, you may not receive any return on an investment in our common shares unless you sell our common shares for a price greater than that which you paid for it.

A small number of our shareholders could be able to significantly influence our business and affairs, limiting your ability to influence corporate matters.

As of December 28, 2014, shareholders owning 5% or more of our outstanding common shares reported their significant ownership positions in their Schedule 13G filings. As a result of their holdings, these shareholders may be able to significantly influence the outcome of any matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including the election of directors, mergers and takeover offers, regardless of whether others believe that approval of those matters is in our best interests.

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to report our financial results accurately or in a timely fashion, and we may not be able to prevent fraud; in such case, our shareholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which would harm our business.

Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable, timely financial reports and prevent fraud. In addition, Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires us to evaluate and report on our internal control over financial reporting beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 28, 2014. The process of implementing our internal controls and complying with Section 404 has been and will continue to be expensive and time-consuming, and will require significant attention of management. We cannot be certain that these measures will ensure that we implement and maintain adequate controls over our financial processes and reporting in the future. Even if we conclude that our internal control over financial reporting provides reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect fraud or misstatements. Failure to implement required new or improved controls, including those related to information technology systems, or difficulties encountered in their implementation, could harm our results of operations or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. If we discover a material weakness, the disclosure of that fact, even if quickly remedied, could reduce the market’s confidence in our financial statements, which would harm our business.


27


Table of Contents

United States civil liabilities may not be enforceable against us.

We exist under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon us and those experts, or to enforce outside the United States judgments obtained in United States courts, in any action, including actions predicated upon the civil liability provisions of United States securities laws. Additionally, it may be difficult for investors to enforce, in original actions brought in courts in jurisdictions located outside the United States, rights predicated upon United States securities laws. In particular, there is uncertainty as to the enforceability in Canada by a court in original actions, or in actions to enforce judgments of United States courts, of the civil liabilities predicated upon the United States securities laws. Based on the foregoing, there can be no assurance that United States investors will be able to enforce against us or certain experts named herein who are residents of countries other than the United States any judgments obtained in United States courts in civil and commercial matters, including judgments under the United States federal securities laws. In addition, there is doubt as to whether a court in the Province of British Columbia would impose civil liability on us, our directors, officers or certain experts named herein in an original action predicated solely upon the federal securities laws of the United States brought in a court of competent jurisdiction in the Province of British Columbia against us or such directors, officers or experts, respectively.

Canadian laws differ from the laws in effect in the United States and may afford less protection to holders of our securities.

We are a company that exists under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada and are subject to the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and certain other applicable securities laws as a Canadian issuer (nonreporting issuer), which laws may differ from those governing a company formed under the laws of a United States jurisdiction. The provisions under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and other relevant laws may affect the rights of shareholders differently than those of a company governed by the laws of a United States jurisdiction, and may, together with our amended and restated articles of amalgamation, or the Articles, have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another party from acquiring control of our company by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or otherwise, or may affect the price an acquiring party would be willing to offer in such an instance.

If securities or industry research analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about our business or if they issue unfavorable commentary or downgrade our common shares, our share price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common shares relies in part on the research and reports that securities and industry research analysts publish about us, our industry, our competitors and our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. Our share price and trading volumes could decline if one or more securities or industry analysts downgrade our common shares, issue unfavorable commentary about us, our industry or business, cease to cover our Company or fail to regularly publish reports about us, our industry or our business.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.


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Table of Contents

Item 2. Properties

Our corporate headquarters are located in Tampa, Florida. The following table provides certain information regarding our properties of 2,000 square feet and more as of December 28, 2014.
Country
 
Facility Location
 
Principal Purpose
 
Square Footage / Acreage
 
Status
United States
 
Haleyville, AL
 
Manufacturing
 
260,000

 
Owned
 
 
Moreno Valley, CA
 
Manufacturing
 
251,630

 
Leased
 
 
Stockton, CA
 
Manufacturing
 
120,000

 
Leased
 
 
Stockton, CA
 
Manufacturing
 
134,400

 
Leased
 
 
Stockton, CA
 
Manufacturing
 
95,779

 
Owned
 
 
Stockton, CA
 
Manufacturing
 
91,809

 
Owned
 
 
Stockton, CA
 
Office/Warehouse
 
50,000

 
Owned
 
 
Stockton, CA
 
Maintenance/Storage
 
3,000

 
Owned
 
 
Stockton, CA
 
Storage
 
2,500

 
Owned
 
 
Ukiah, CA
 
Vacant Land
 
 48 acres

 
Owned
 
 
Largo, FL
 
Manufacturing
 
50,000

 
Leased
 
 
Tampa, FL
 
Display Center
 
44,000

 
Leased
 
 
Tampa, FL
 
Office
 
40,357

 
Leased
 
 
Yulee, FL
 
Manufacturing
 
136,320

 
Leased
 
 
Lawrenceville, GA
 
Manufacturing
 
246,140

 
Leased
 
 
Marietta, GA
 
Office
 
7,587

 
Leased
 
 
West Chicago, IL
 
R&D
 
145,245

 
Owned
 
 
South Bend, IN
 
Closed
 
117,700

 
Owned
 
 
Walkerton, IN
 
Manufacturing
 
190,000

 
Owned
 
 
Pittsburg, KS
 
Manufacturing
 
338,082

 
Owned
 
 
Pittsburg, KS
 
Warehouse
 
65,970

 
Owned
 
 
Pittsburg, KS
 
Warehouse
 
22,500

 
Leased
 
 
Lake Charles, LA
 
Manufacturing
 
150,000

 
Leased
 
 
Laurel, MS
 
Manufacturing
 
2,079,520

 
Owned
 
 
North Platte, NE
 
Manufacturing
 
96,002

 
Owned
 
 
North Platte, NE
 
Warehouse
 
8,515

 
Leased
 
 
Kirkwood, NY
 
Manufacturing
 
137,500

 
Leased
 
 
Charlotte, NC
 
Manufacturing
 
220,264

 
Leased
 
 
Wahpeton, ND
 
Manufacturing
 
92,500

 
Leased
 
 
Broken Bow, OK
 
Manufacturing
 
199,660

 
Owned(1)
 
 
Vandalia, OH
 
Manufacturing
 
102,400

 
Leased
 
 
Northumberland, PA
 
Manufacturing
 
198,000

 
Owned
 
 
Northumberland, PA
 
Warehouse
 
8,400

 
Leased
 
 
Denmark, SC
 
Manufacturing
 
170,000

 
Owned
 
 
Denmark, SC
 
Manufacturing
 
132,842

 
Owned
 
 
Dickson, TN
 
Manufacturing
 
217,375

 
Owned
 
 
Jefferson City, TN
 
Manufacturing
 
150,000

 
Leased

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Table of Contents

Country
 
Facility Location
 
Principal Purpose
 
Square Footage / Acreage
 
Status
 
 
Jefferson City, TN
 
Warehouse
 
30,000

 
Leased
 
 
Grand Prairie, TX
 
Manufacturing
 
24,420

 
Leased
 
 
Greenville, TX
 
Manufacturing
 
254,000

 
Owned
 
 
Greenville, TX
 
Warehouse
 
105,000

 
Owned
 
 
Mesquite, TX
 
Manufacturing
 
232,800

 
Leased
 
 
Danville, VA
 
Warehouse
 
16,000

 
Leased
 
 
Fredericksburg, VA
 
Manufacturing
 
40,480

 
Leased
 
 
Luray, VA
 
Warehouse
 
74,972

 
Leased
 
 
Stanley, VA
 
Manufacturing
 
112,800

 
Owned
 
 
Winchester, VA
 
Manufacturing
 
109,781

 
Leased
 
 
Winchester, VA
 
Warehouse
 
49,200

 
Leased
 
 
Algoma, WI
 
Manufacturing
 
600,000

 
Leased
 
 
Algoma, WI
 
Warehouse
 
5,000

 
Leased
 
 
Birchwood, WI
 
Manufacturing
 
139,299

 
Owned
 
 
Marshfield, WI
 
Manufacturing
 
699,882

 
Owned
 
 
Rice Lake, WI
 
Retail/Outlet Store
 
6,000

 
Leased
 
 
Thorp, WI
 
Manufacturing
 
61,920

 
Owned
Canada
 
Calgary, AB
 
Warehouse
 
19,677

 
Leased
 
 
Langley, BC
 
Closed
 
100,000

 
Leased
 
 
Langley, BC
 
Warehouse
 
60,000

 
Leased
 
 
Langley, BC
 
Manufacturing
 
259,590

 
Leased
 
 
Surrey, BC
 
Closed
 
87,995

 
Leased
 
 
Yarrow, BC
 
Manufacturing
 
186,000

 
Owned
 
 
Concord, ON
 
Manufacturing/Office
 
214,066

 
Leased
 
 
London, ON
 
Manufacturing
 
55,450

 
Leased
 
 
Berthierville, QC
 
Closed
 
154,408

 
Owned
 
 
Berthierville, QC
 
Closed
 
7,825

 
Owned
 
 
Lac-Mégantic, QC
 
Manufacturing
 
171,714

 
Owned
 
 
Lac-Mégantic, QC
 
Manufacturing
 
148,220

 
Owned
 
 
Lac-Mégantic, QC
 
Warehouse
 
42,400

 
Owned
 
 
Lac-Mégantic, QC
 
Warehouse
 
18,000

 
Owned
 
 
Lac-Mégantic, QC
 
Warehouse
 
15,000

 
Owned
 
 
Lac-Mégantic, QC
 
Warehouse
 
15,000

 
Leased
 
 
Lac-Mégantic, QC
 
Warehouse
 
10,000

 
Leased
 
 
Lac-Mégantic, QC
 
Warehouse
 
6,000

 
Owned
 
 
Sacré-Coeur, QC
 
Manufacturing
 
90,000

 
Owned(1)
 
 
Saint Éphrem, QC
 
Manufacturing
 
70,000

 
Owned
 
 
Saint Éphrem, QC
 
Warehouse
 
4,665

 
Leased
 
 
Saint Romuald, QC
 
Manufacturing
 
71,926

 
Leased
 
 
Saint Romuald, QC
 
Warehouse
 
40,331

 
Leased

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Table of Contents

Country
 
Facility Location
 
Principal Purpose
 
Square Footage / Acreage
 
Status
 
 
Windsor, QC
 
Manufacturing
 
149,845

 
Owned
 
 
Windsor, QC
 
Manufacturing
 
48,004

 
Owned
 
 
Windsor, QC
 
Warehouse
 
12,000

 
Leased
Austria
 
Vienna
 
Closed
 
2,000

 
Leased
Chile
 
Cabrero
 
Manufacturing
 
272,819

 
Owned
 
 
Cabrero
 
Manufacturing
 
101,200

 
Leased
 
 
Cabrero
 
Warehouse
 
32,276

 
Leased
 
 
Cabrero
 
Warehouse
 
24,200

 
Leased
 
 
Cabrero
 
Warehouse
 
24,200

 
Leased
 
 
Chillán
 
Manufacturing
 
146,000

 
Owned
 
 
Colina
 
Warehouse
 
8,650

 
Leased
Costa Rica
 
Limon/Guapiles
 
Forest
 
16,732 acres

 
Owned
Czech Republic
 
Jihlava
 
Manufacturing
 
295,576

 
Leased
 
 
Jihlava
 
Warehouse
 
28,000

 
Leased
France
 
Bazas
 
Manufacturing
 
412,715

 
Owned
 
 
Bordeaux
 
Manufacturing
 
139,461

 
Owned
 
 
Douvres-la-Délivrande
 
Manufacturing
 
196,838

 
Owned
 
 
Giberville
 
Manufacturing
 
9,365

 
Leased
 
 
Orange
 
Manufacturing
 
75,000

 
Owned
 
 
Thignonville
 
Manufacturing
 
99,700

 
Owned
 
 
Tillières
 
Manufacturing
 
82,602

 
Owned
Ireland
 
Carrick-on-Shannon
 
Manufacturing
 
620,329

 
Owned
Malaysia
 
Bintulu
 
Manufacturing
 
151,073

 
Leased
Mexico
 
Ciénega de Flores
 
Manufacturing
 
180,687

 
Owned
South Africa
 
Estcourt
 
Manufacturing
 
791,147

 
Owned(1)
 
 
Johannesburg
 
Office
 
2,367

 
Leased
 
 
KwaZulu Natal
 
Forest
 
55,599 acres

 
Owned(1)
 
 
Riverhorse Valley
 
Office
 
10,440

 
Leased
United Kingdom
 
Barnsley
 
Manufacturing
 
503,528

 
Owned
 
 
Barnsley
 
Warehouse
 
55,000

 
Leased
 
 
Huthwaite
 
Manufacturing
 
120,000

 
Leased
 
 
Middlesbrough
 
Manufacturing
 
12,000

 
Leased
 
 
Stockton-on-Tees
 
Closed
 
80,000

 
Leased
_________
(1) Less than wholly owned facility


31


Table of Contents

Item 3. Legal Proceedings
We are involved in various legal proceedings, claims and governmental audits in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these proceedings, claims and audits will not have a material adverse effect on the financial position, results of our operations, or cash flows.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
Executive Officers of the Registrant
Information about the Company's executive officers is incorporated herein by reference from Part III, Item 10 hereof.

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Table of Contents

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information
Our common shares have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “DOOR” since September 9, 2013. Prior to that time, there was no public market for our common shares, although our common shares were quoted on the OTC Grey Market under the symbol “MASWF” from June 2009 until our listing on the NYSE. The following table sets forth the high and low sales prices per share of our common stock as reported on the NYSE for the periods indicated:
 
2014
 
2013
 
High
 
Low
 
High
 
Low
First quarter
$
62.25

 
$
52.81

 
$

 
$

Second quarter
59.35

 
48.02

 

 

Third quarter (1)
59.00

 
48.37

 
52.75

 
46.38

Fourth quarter
61.06

 
52.08

 
59.47

 
45.81

__________
(1) In 2013, this represents the period from September 9, 2013, the date of initial listing of our common shares, through September 29, 2013, the end of our fiscal third quarter.

Holders
As of February 26, 2015, we had two record holders of our common shares, including Cede & Co., the nominee of the Depository Trust Corporation.

Dividends

We do not intend to pay any cash dividends on our common shares for the foreseeable future and will retain earnings, if any, for future operations, expansion and debt repayment. Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, liquidity requirements, financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, our ability to pay dividends is limited by covenants in our ABL Facility and in the indenture governing our senior notes. Future agreements may also limit our ability to pay dividends. See Note 7 to our audited consolidated financial statements contained elsewhere in this Annual Report for restrictions on our ability to pay dividends.

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Table of Contents

Stock Performance Graph
The following graph depicts the total return to shareholders from September 9, 2013, the date our common shares became listed on the NYSE, through December 28, 2014, relative to the performance of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index and the Standard & Poor's 1500 Building Products Index. The graph assumes an investment of $100 in our common stock and each index on September 9, 2013, and the reinvestment of dividends paid since that date. The stock performance shown in the graph is not necessarily indicative of future price performance.
Comparison of Cumulative Total Stockholder Return
Masonite International Corporation, Standard & Poor's 500 Index and
Standard & Poor's 1500 Building Products Index
(Performance Results through December 28, 2014)
 
9/9/13
 
December 29, 2013
 
December 28, 2014
Masonite International Corporation
$
100.00

 
$
114.49

 
$
117.57

Standard & Poor's 500 Index
100.00

 
113.98

 
129.58

Standard & Poor's 1500 Building Products Index
100.00

 
124.47

 
136.04


34


Table of Contents

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities; Use of Proceeds from Registered Securities
None.
Repurchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
None.
Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The following table sets forth selected historical consolidated financial data as of the dates and for the periods indicated. The selected historical consolidated financial data as of December 28, 2014, and December 29, 2013, and for the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013, and December 30, 2012, have been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report. The selected historical consolidated financial data as of December 30, 2012, January 1, 2012, and January 2, 2011, and for the years ended January 1, 2012, and January 2, 2011, have been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements not included in this Annual Report.

This historical data includes, in the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the operating results and financial condition of the Company for such periods and as of such dates. The results of operations for any period are not necessarily indicative of the results of future operations. Since 2010, we have completed several acquisitions. The results of these acquired entities are included in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) for the periods subsequent to the respective acquisition date. The selected historical consolidated financial data set forth below should be read in conjunction with, and are qualified by reference to, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report.


35


Table of Contents

 
Year Ended
(In thousands of U.S. dollars, except for share and per share amounts)
December 28,
2014
 
December 29,
2013
 
December 30,
2012
 
January 1,
2012
 
January 2,
2011
Consolidation Statement of Operations Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net sales
$
1,837,700

 
$
1,731,143

 
$
1,676,005

 
$
1,489,179

 
$
1,383,271

Cost of goods sold
1,572,301

 
1,505,636

 
1,459,701

 
1,303,820

 
1,203,469

Gross profit
265,399

 
225,507

 
216,304

 
185,359

 
179,802

Selling, general and administration expenses
224,077

 
207,166

 
206,708

 
184,260

 
176,776

Restructuring costs
11,137

 
10,630

 
11,431

 
5,116

 
7,000

Asset impairment
18,202

 
1,904

 
1,350

 
2,516

 

Operating income (loss)
11,983

 
5,807

 
(3,185
)
 
(6,533
)
 
(3,974
)
Interest expense (income), net
41,525

 
33,230

 
31,454

 
18,068

 
245

Other expense (income), net
(587
)
 
2,316

 
528

 
1,111

 
1,030

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense (benefit)
(28,955
)
 
(29,739
)
 
(35,167
)
 
(25,712
)
 
(5,249
)
Income tax expense (benefit)
4,533

 
(21,377
)
 
(13,365
)
 
(21,560
)
 
(11,396
)
Income (loss) from continuing operations
(33,488
)
 
(8,362
)
 
(21,802
)
 
(4,152
)
 
6,147

Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax
(630
)
 
(598
)
 
1,480

 
(303
)
 
(1,718
)
Net income (loss)
(34,118
)
 
(8,960
)
 
(20,322
)
 
(4,455
)
 
4,429

Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest
3,222

 
2,050

 
2,923

 
2,079

 
1,390

Net income (loss) attributable to Masonite
$
(37,340
)
 
$
(11,010
)
 
$
(23,245
)
 
$
(6,534
)
 
$
3,039

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Masonite shareholders per common share (basic and diluted)
$
(1.24
)
 
$
(0.37
)
 
$
(0.89
)
 
$
(0.23
)
 
$
0.17

Net income (loss) attributable to Masonite shareholders per common share (basic and diluted)
$
(1.26
)
 
$
(0.39
)
 
$
(0.84
)
 
$
(0.24
)
 
$
0.11

Common shares outstanding
30,015,321

 
29,085,021

 
27,943,774

 
27,531,792

 
27,523,541

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other Financial Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Capital expenditures
$
50,147

 
$
45,971

 
$
48,419

 
$
42,413

 
$
57,823

Net cash flow provided by (used for) operating activities
77,386

 
47,453

 
55,222

 
32,688

 
75,154

Net cash flow provided by (used for) investing activities
(100,908
)
 
(54,473
)
 
(136,103
)
 
(186,717
)
 
(97,974
)
Net cash flow provided by (used for) financing activities
128,849

 
(11,138
)
 
94,230

 
136,605

 
(4,797
)

36


Table of Contents

(In thousands of U.S. dollars)
December 28,
2014
 
December 29,
2013
 
December 30,
2012
 
January 1,
2012
 
January 2,
2011
Balance Sheet Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
$
192,037

 
$
100,873

 
$
122,314

 
$
109,205

 
$
121,050

Accounts receivable, net
241,721

 
243,823

 
256,666

 
228,729

 
205,581

Inventories, net
222,732

 
218,348

 
208,783

 
209,041

 
186,400

Working capital (1)
476,102

 
395,152

 
417,584

 
384,822

 
349,248

Property, plant and equipment
576,234

 
630,279

 
648,360

 
632,655

 
645,615

Total assets
1,646,551

 
1,591,145

 
1,645,948

 
1,528,056

 
1,398,510

Total debt
511,920

 
377,861

 
378,848

 
275,000

 

Total equity
735,499

 
825,562

 
837,815

 
848,483

 
1,012,547

____________
(1) Working capital is defined as current assets less current liabilities and includes cash restricted by letters of credit.

37


Table of Contents
MASONITE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION




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

The following Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") is based upon accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and discusses the financial condition and results of operations for Masonite International Corporation for the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013, and December 30, 2012. In this MD&A, "Masonite," "we," "us," "our," and the "Company" refer to Masonite International Corporation and its subsidiaries.
This discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The following discussion should also be read in conjunction with the disclosure under "Special Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements" and Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors", elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties.
Overview
We are a leading global designer and manufacturer of interior and exterior doors for the residential new construction; the residential repair, renovation and remodeling; and the architectural building construction markets. Since 1925, we have provided our customers with innovative products and superior service at compelling values. In order to better serve our customers and create sustainable competitive advantages, we focus on developing innovative products, advanced manufacturing capabilities and technology-driven sales and service solutions. In the year ended December 28, 2014, 76.0% of our net sales were in North America, 21.0% in Europe, Asia and Latin America and 3.0% in Africa.
We market and sell our products to remodeling contractors, builders, homeowners, retailers, dealers, lumberyards, commercial and general contractors and architects through well-established wholesale and retail distribution channels as part of our cross-merchandising strategy. Customers are provided a broad product offering of interior and exterior doors and entry systems at various price points. We manufacture a broad line of interior doors, including residential molded, flush, stile and rail, louver and specially-ordered commercial and architectural doors; door components for internal use and sale to other door manufacturers; and exterior residential steel, fiberglass and wood doors and entry systems. In the year ended December 28, 2014, sales of interior and exterior products accounted for 70.4% and 29.6% of net sales, respectively.
We operate 63 manufacturing and distribution facilities in 10 countries in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia, which are strategically located to serve our customers through multiple distribution channels. These distribution channels include: (i) direct distribution to retail home center customers; (ii) one-step distribution that sells directly to homebuilders and contractors; and (iii) two-step distribution through wholesale distributors. For retail home center customers, numerous Dorfab facilities provide value-added fabrication and logistical services, including pre-finishing and store delivery of pre-hung interior and exterior doors. We believe our ability to provide: (i) a broad product range; (ii) frequent, rapid, on-time and complete delivery; (iii) consistency in products and merchandising; (iv) national service; and (v) special order programs enables retail customers to increase comparable store sales and helps to differentiate us from our competitors. We believe investments in innovative new product manufacturing and distribution capabilities, coupled with an ongoing commitment to operational excellence, provide a strong platform for future growth.
Our reportable segments are organized and managed principally by geographic region: North America; Europe, Asia and Latin America; and Africa. In the year ended December 28, 2014, we generated net sales of $1,396.0 million, $385.1 million and $56.6 million in our North America; Europe, Asia and Latin America; and Africa segments, respectively.
Key Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations
Product Demand
There are numerous factors that influence overall market demand for our products. Demand for new homes, home improvement products and other building construction products have a direct impact on our financial condition and results of operations. Demand for our products may be impacted by changes in United States, Canadian, European, Asian

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or other global economic conditions, including inflation, deflation, interest rates, availability of capital, consumer spending rates, energy availability and costs, and the effects of governmental initiatives to manage economic conditions. Additionally, trends in residential new construction, repair, renovation and remodeling and architectural building construction may directly impact our financial performance. Accordingly, the following factors may have a direct impact on our business in the countries and regions in which our products are sold:
the strength of the economy;
the amount and type of residential and commercial construction;
housing sales and home values;
the age of existing home stock, home vacancy rates and foreclosures;
commercial building occupancy rates;
increases in the cost of raw materials or any shortage in supplies;
the availability and cost of credit;
employment rates and consumer confidence; and
demographic factors such as immigration and migration of the population and trends in household formation.

Product Pricing and Mix
The building products industry is highly competitive and we therefore face pressure on sales prices of our products. In addition, our competitors may adopt more aggressive sales policies and devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sale of their products than we do, which could result in a loss of customers. Our business in general is subject to changing consumer and industry trends, demands and preferences. Trends within the industry change often and our failure to anticipate, identify or quickly react to changes in these trends could lead to, among other things, rejection of a new product line and reduced demand and price reductions for our products, which could materially adversely affect us. Changes in consumer preferences may also lead to increased demand for our lower margin products relative to our higher margin products, which could reduce our future profitability.
Business Wins and Losses
Our customers consist mainly of wholesalers and retail home centers. In fiscal year 2014, our top ten customers together accounted for approximately 38% of our net sales and our top customer, The Home Depot, Inc. accounted for approximately 17% of our net sales in fiscal year 2014. Net sales from customers that have accounted for a significant portion of our net sales in past periods, individually or as a group, may not continue in future periods, or if continued, may not reach or exceed historical levels in any period. Certain customers perform periodic product line reviews to assess their product offerings, which have, on past occasions, led to business wins and losses. In addition, as a result of competitive bidding processes, we may not be able to increase or maintain the margins at which we sell our products to our customers.
Organizational Restructuring
Over the past several years we have initiated, and in the future we plan to initiate, restructuring plans designed to eliminate excess capacity in order to align our manufacturing capabilities with reductions in demand, as well as to streamline our organizational structure and reposition our business for improved long-term profitability.
On August 20, 2014, the Board of Directors of Masonite Israel Ltd. (“Israel”), one of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, decided to voluntarily seek a Stay of Proceedings from the Israeli courts in an attempt to restructure the business (the “2014 Plan”). The court filing was made on August 21, 2014, and the court appointed a trustee to oversee the operation of the business and to attempt to restructure it. The action to seek court protection followed a comprehensive evaluation of the alternatives for the business, including an organized sale process that was ultimately unsuccessful. We determined that the subsidiary should be deconsolidated at that time, as it had become subject to the control of a court. We have had and will continue to have no continuing involvement with Israel subsequent to August 21, 2014, and Israel will not be considered a related party. As a result of Israel's court filing, we incurred $9.5 million of charges during the year ended December 28, 2014, of which $1.4 million relate to non-cash asset impairments, $6.8 million relate to non-cash losses on deconsolidation, and $1.9 million relate to cash charges incurred, primarily relating

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to bank debt and guarantees. Partially offsetting these charges was a gain of $0.6 million relating to the recognition of the cumulative translation adjustment into net income. As of December 28, 2014, pending the ultimate resolution of the Stay of Proceedings, we do not anticipate any material future charges related to the 2014 Plan. The 2014 Plan is estimated to increase our annual earnings and cash flows by approximately $4 million.

During 2013, we began implementing plans to rationalize certain of our facilities, including related headcount reductions, in Canada due to synergy opportunities related to recent acquisitions in the residential interior wood door markets. We have also rationalized certain of our operations, including related headcount reductions, in Ireland, South Africa and Israel in order to respond to declines in demand in international markets. Additionally, the decision was made to discontinue sales into the Polish market subsequent to the decision to cease manufacturing operations in 2012 (collectively, the "2013 Restructuring Plan"). Costs associated with the 2013 Restructuring Plan include severance and closure charges, including impairment of certain property, plant and equipment, and are substantially completed. As of December 28, 2014, we do not expect to incur any material future charges for the 2013 Restructuring Plan. The 2013 Restructuring Plan is estimated to increase our annual earnings and cash flows by approximately $5 million.

During 2012, we began implementing plans to close certain of our U.S. manufacturing facilities due to the start-up of our new highly automated interior door slab assembly plant in Denmark, South Carolina, synergy opportunities related to recent acquisitions in the architectural interior wood door market and footprint optimization efforts resulting from declines in demand in specific markets. We also began implementing plans during 2012 to permanently close our businesses in Hungary and Romania and to cease manufacturing operations in Poland, due to the continued economic downturn and heightened volatility of the Eastern European economies (collectively, the "2012 Restructuring Plan"). Costs associated with these closure and exit activities relate to closures of facilities and impairment of certain tangible and intangible assets and are substantially completed. As of December 28, 2014, we do not expect to incur any material future charges for the 2012 Restructuring Plan. The 2012 Restructuring Plans are estimated to increase our annual earnings and cash flows by approximately $10 million.

Foreign Exchange Rate Fluctuation
Our financial results may be adversely affected by fluctuating exchange rates. In the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013, and December 30, 2012 approximately 42%, 42% and 44% of our net sales were generated outside of the United States, respectively. In addition, a significant percentage of our costs during the same period were not denominated in U.S. dollars. For example, for most of our manufacturing and distribution facilities, the prices for a significant portion of our raw materials are quoted in the domestic currency of the country where the facility is located or other currencies that are not U.S. dollars. We also have substantial assets outside the United States. As a result, the volatility in the price of the U.S. dollar has exposed, and in the future may continue to expose, us to currency exchange risks. Also, since our financial statements are denominated in U.S. dollars, changes in currency exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and other currencies have had, and will continue to have, an impact on many aspects of our financial results. Changes in currency exchange rates for any country in which we operate may require us to raise the prices of our products in that country or allow our competitors to sell their products at lower prices in that country.
Inflation
An increase in inflation could have a significant impact on the cost of our raw material inputs. Increased prices for raw materials or finished goods used in our products and/or interruptions in deliveries of raw materials or finished goods could adversely affect our profitability, margins and net sales, particularly if we are not able to pass these incurred costs on to our customers. In addition, interest rates normally increase during periods of rising inflation. Historically, as interest rates increase, demand for new homes and home improvement products decreases. An environment of gradual interest rate increases may, however, signify an improving economy or increasing real estate values, which in turn may stimulate increased home buying activity.
Seasonality
Our business is moderately seasonal and our net sales vary from quarter to quarter based upon the timing of the building season in our markets. Severe weather conditions in any quarter, such as unusually prolonged warm or cold conditions, rain, blizzards or hurricanes, could accelerate, delay or halt construction and renovation activity.

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Other Matters
On June 6, 2014, an explosion occurred in the power plant of our Estcourt mill in South Africa which reduced the site’s ability to generate steam and heat the kilns which, in turn, required the production lines to cease operating for several weeks. Currently, the mill is running at 100% of pre-incident levels. We are insured against property loss and business interruption, and we recognized $3.5 million in business interruption proceeds during the year ended December 28, 2014, as partial payment. These proceeds were recorded as a reduction to selling, general and administration expense in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss).
Acquisitions
In the past several years, we have pursued strategic acquisitions targeting companies with differentiated businesses, strong brands, complementary technologies, attractive geographic footprints and opportunities for cost and distribution synergies:
Harring: On December 1, 2014, we completed the acquisition of Harring for net consideration of $3.9 million. Harring manufactures interior and exterior stile and rail wood doors for architectural door applications at its facility in London, Ontario. The acquisition of Harring complements our architectural wood door business.
Door-Stop: On February 24, 2014, we completed the acquisition of Door-Stop for total consideration of approximately $50.4 million, net of cash acquired. We acquired 100% of the equity interests in Door-Stop through the purchase of all outstanding shares of common stock on the acquisition date. Door-Stop is based in Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom, utilizes an internet-based ordering process and manufactures exterior door sets for the residential repair and renovation markets. The Door-Stop acquisition complements our existing exterior fiberglass business.
Chile: In July 2013, we acquired assets of a door manufacturing operation located in Chile for servicing the North American market for total consideration of $12.2 million. The transaction includes the door component operations in Cabrero, Chile, and a door assembly factory in Chillan, Chile. The operations acquired primarily manufacture high quality stile and rail panel and French wood doors for the North American market. The Chile acquisition acts as a natural complement to Lemieux and our existing residential wood door offering.
Lemieux: In August 2012, we completed the acquisition of Lemieux for net consideration of $22.1 million. Lemieux manufactures interior and exterior stile and rail wood doors for residential applications at its two facilities in Windsor, Quebec. The acquisition of Lemieux complemented our residential wood door business and provides us an additional strategic growth platform.
Algoma: In April 2012, we completed the acquisition of Algoma for net consideration of $55.6 million. Algoma manufactures interior wood doors for architectural applications. The acquisition of Algoma complemented our existing Baillargeon-, Mohawk- and Marshfield-branded architectural interior wood door business.
Baillargeon: In March 2012, we completed the acquisition of Baillargeon for net consideration of $9.9 million. Baillargeon is a Canadian manufacturer of interior wood doors for architectural applications.
Birchwood: In November 2011, we completed the acquisition of Birchwood, for net consideration of $41.0 million. We believe Birchwood is one of North America’s largest producers of architectural flush wood door facings, as well as a significant producer of hardwood plywood. The Birchwood acquisition enhanced our position as a leader in the manufacturing and distribution of components for architectural interior wood doors, and acts as a natural complement to our existing business.

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Marshfield: In August 2011, we completed the acquisition of Marshfield for net consideration of $102.4 million. We believe Marshfield is a leading provider of doors and door components for architectural applications that enables us to provide our customers with a wider range of innovative door products.
Prior to the acquisition, Marshfield experienced a loss of certain property, plant and equipment, as well as a partial and temporary business interruption, due to an explosion that impacted a portion of its manufacturing facility in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Losses related to the event were recognized by Marshfield prior to the acquisition. Marshfield was insured for these losses, including business interruption, and we retained rights to this insurance claim subsequent to acquisition. During the fourth quarter of 2012, we recognized $3.3 million as partial settlement for business interruption losses. In the first quarter of 2013, we recognized an additional $4.5 million as final settlement of the claim. These proceeds were recorded as a reduction to selling, general and administration expense in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss). No further business interruption insurance proceeds are expected as a result of this event.

Components of Results of Operations
Net Sales
Net sales are derived from the sale of products to our customers. We recognize sales of our products when an agreement with the customer in the form of a sales order is in place, the sales price is fixed or determinable, collection is reasonably assured and the customer has taken ownership and assumes risk of loss. Certain customers are eligible to participate in various incentive and rebate programs considered as a reduction of the sales price of our products. Accordingly, net sales are reported net of such incentives and rebates. Additionally, shipping and other transportation costs charged to customers are recorded in net sales in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss).
Cost of Goods Sold
Our cost of goods sold is comprised of the cost to manufacture products for our customers. Cost of goods sold includes all of the direct materials and direct labor used to produce our products. Included in our cost of goods sold is also a systematic allocation of fixed and variable production overhead incurred in converting raw materials into finished goods. Fixed production overhead reflects those indirect costs of production that remain relatively constant regardless of the volume of production, such as depreciation and maintenance of factory buildings and equipment, and the cost of factory management and administration. Variable production overhead consists of those indirect costs of production that vary directly, or nearly directly, with the volume of production, such as indirect materials and indirect labor. We incur significant fixed and variable overhead at our global component locations that manufacture interior molded door facings. Our overall average production capacity utilization at these locations was approximately 67%, 64% and 63% for the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012. Research and development costs are primarily included within cost of goods sold. Finally, cost of goods sold also includes the distribution and transportation costs to deliver products to our customers.

Selling, General and Administration Expenses
Selling, general and administration expenses primarily include the costs for our sales organization and support staff at various plants and corporate offices. These costs include personnel costs for payroll, related benefits and stock based compensation expense; professional fees including legal, accounting and consulting fees; depreciation and amortization of our non-manufacturing equipment and assets; travel and entertainment expenses; director, officer and other insurance policies; environmental, health and safety costs; advertising expenses and rent and utilities related to administrative office facilities. Certain charges that are also incurred less frequently and are included in selling, general and administration costs include restructuring charges, gain or loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment, asset impairments and bad debt expense.
Restructuring Costs
Restructuring costs include all salary-related severance benefits that are accrued and expensed when a restructuring plan has been put into place, the plan has received approval from the appropriate level of management and the benefit is probable and reasonably estimable. In addition to salary-related costs, we incur other restructuring costs

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when facilities are closed or capacity is realigned within the organization. Upon termination of a contract we record liabilities and expenses pursuant to the terms of the relevant agreement. For non-contractual restructuring activities, liabilities and expenses are measured and recorded at fair value in the period in which they are incurred.
Asset Impairment
Asset impairment includes charges that are taken when impairment testing indicates that the carrying values of our long-lived assets or asset groups exceed their respective fair values. Definite-lived assets are tested for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset or asset group may not be recoverable. Indefinite-lived intangible assets and goodwill are tested annually for impairment on the last day of fiscal November, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognized when the carrying value of the asset or asset group being tested exceeds its fair value, except in the case of goodwill, which is tested based on the fair value of the reporting unit where the goodwill is recorded.
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net relates primarily to our $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.25% senior unsecured notes due April 15, 2021, $125.0 million, $100.0 million and $275.0 million of which were issued on January 21, 2014; March 9, 2012; and April 15, 2011, respectively. The transaction costs were capitalized as deferred financing costs and are being amortized to interest expense over their term. The senior notes issued on January 21, 2014, and March 9, 2012, were issued at 108.75% and 103.50%, of the principal amount, respectively and resulted in a premium from the issuance that will be amortized to interest expense over their term. Additionally, we pay interest on any outstanding principal under our ABL Facility and we are required to pay a commitment fee for unutilized commitments under the ABL Facility both of which are recorded in interest expense as incurred.
Other Expense (Income), Net
Other expense (income), net includes profits and losses related to our non-majority owned unconsolidated subsidiaries that we recognize under the equity method of accounting, unrealized gains and losses on foreign currency remeasurements and other miscellaneous non-operating expenses.
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income taxes are recorded using the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under the asset and liability method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the deferred tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities due to a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the date of enactment. A valuation allowance is recorded to reduce deferred tax assets to an amount that is anticipated to be realized on a more likely than not basis. Our combined effective income tax rate is primarily the weighted average of federal, state and provincial rates in various countries where we have operations, including the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Our income tax rate is also affected by estimates of our ability to realize tax assets and changes in tax laws.

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Segment Information
Our reportable segments are organized and managed principally by geographic region: North America; Europe, Asia and Latin America; and Africa. Our management reviews net sales and Adjusted EBITDA (as defined below) to evaluate segment performance and allocate resources. Net assets are not allocated to the geographic segments. Our segment information that follows contains a discussion surrounding "Adjusted EBITDA," a non-GAAP financial measure. Adjusted EBITDA does not have a standardized meaning under GAAP and is unlikely to be comparable to similar measure used by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) attributable to Masonite adjusted to exclude the following items:

depreciation;
amortization;
share based compensation expense;
loss (gain) on disposal of property, plant and equipment;
registration and listing fees;
restructuring costs;
asset impairment;
interest expense (income), net;
other expense (income), net;
income tax expense (benefit);
loss (income) from discontinued operations, net of tax; and
net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest.

We believe that Adjusted EBITDA, from an operations standpoint, provides an appropriate way to measure and assess operating performance. Although Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial condition or performance determined in accordance with GAAP, it is used by management to evaluate and compare the operating performance of the segments and it is one of the primary measures used to determine employee incentive compensation. Our management team has established the practice of reviewing the performance of each geographic segment based on the measures of net sales and Adjusted EBITDA. Intersegment transfers are negotiated on an arm’s length basis, using market prices.
We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is useful to users of the consolidated financial statements because it provides the same information that we use internally for purposes of assessing our operating performance and making compensation decisions. This definition of Adjusted EBITDA differs from the definitions of EBITDA contained in the indenture governing the senior notes and the credit agreement governing the ABL facility.
Adjusted EBITDA is not a presentation made in accordance with GAAP, is not a measure of financial condition or profitability, and should not be considered as an alternative to either net income or operating cash flows determined in accordance with GAAP.

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Results of Operations
 
Year Ended
(In thousands)
December 28, 2014
 
December 29, 2013
 
December 30, 2012
Net sales
$
1,837,700

 
$
1,731,143

 
$
1,676,005

Cost of goods sold
1,572,301

 
1,505,636

 
1,459,701

Gross profit
265,399

 
225,507

 
216,304

Gross profit as a % of net sales
14.4
%
 
13.0
%
 
12.9
%
Selling, general and administration expenses
224,077

 
207,166

 
206,708

Restructuring costs
11,137

 
10,630

 
11,431

Asset impairment
18,202

 
1,904

 
1,350

Operating income (loss)
11,983

 
5,807

 
(3,185
)
Interest expense (income), net
41,525

 
33,230

 
31,454

Other expense (income), net
(587
)
 
2,316

 
528

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense (benefit)
(28,955
)
 
(29,739
)
 
(35,167
)
Income tax expense (benefit)
4,533

 
(21,377
)
 
(13,365
)
Income (loss) from continuing operations
(33,488
)
 
(8,362
)
 
(21,802
)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax
(630
)
 
(598
)
 
1,480

Net income (loss)
(34,118
)
 
(8,960
)
 
(20,322
)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest
3,222

 
2,050

 
2,923

Net income (loss) attributable to Masonite
$
(37,340
)
 
$
(11,010
)
 
$
(23,245
)
Year Ended December 28, 2014, Compared with Year Ended December 29, 2013
Net Sales
Net sales in the year ended December 28, 2014, were $1,837.7 million, an increase of $106.6 million or 6.2% from $1,731.1 million in the year ended December 29, 2013. Net sales in 2014 were negatively impacted by $23.6 million as a result of foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Excluding this exchange rate impact, net sales would have increased by $130.2 million or 7.5% due to changes in unit volume, average unit price and sales of other products. Average unit price increased net sales in 2014 by $103.3 million or 6.0% compared to 2013. Also contributing to this increase were higher unit volumes in 2014, which increased net sales by $32.7 million or 1.9% compared to 2013. Partially offsetting these increases, net sales of other products to external customers were $5.8 million or 0.3% lower in 2014 compared to 2013.
The proportion of net sales from interior and exterior products in the year ended December 28, 2014, was 70.4% and 29.6%, respectively, compared to 72.8% and 27.2% in the year ended December 29, 2013. The increased proportion of net sales of our exterior products was driven by the acquisition of Door-Stop, which only produces exterior products as well as the closure of our business in Poland, which primarily produced interior products.

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Net Sales and Percentage of Net Sales by Principal Geographic Region
 
Year Ended
(In thousands)
December 28, 2014
 
December 29, 2013
North America
$
1,396,844

 
$
1,322,365

North America intersegment
(813
)
 
(727
)
North America net sales to external customers
$
1,396,031

 
$
1,321,638

Percentage of net sales
76.0
%
 
76.4
%
 
 
 
 
Europe, Asia and Latin America
$
409,550

 
$
354,615

Europe, Asia and Latin America intersegment
(24,460
)
 
(14,686
)
Europe, Asia and Latin America net sales to external customers
$
385,090

 
$
339,929

Percentage of net sales
21.0
%
 
19.6
%
 
 
 
 
Africa
$
56,579

 
$
69,617

Africa intersegment

 
(41
)
Africa net sales to external customers
$
56,579

 
$
69,576

Percentage of net sales
3.0
%
 
4.0
%
 
 
 
 
Net sales to external customers
$
1,837,700

 
$
1,731,143


North America
Net sales to external customers from facilities in the North America segment in the year ended December 28, 2014, were $1,396.0 million, an increase of $74.4 million or 5.6% from $1,321.6 million in the year ended December 29, 2013. Net sales in 2014 were negatively impacted by $21.7 million as a result of foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Excluding this exchange rate impact, net sales would have increased by $96.1 million or 7.3% due to changes in unit volume, average unit price and sales of other products. Average unit price increased net sales in 2014 by $65.6 million or 5.0% compared to 2013. Also contributing to this increase were higher unit volumes in 2014, which increased net sales by $37.8 million or 2.9% compared to 2013. Partially offsetting these increases, net sales of other products to external customers were $7.3 million or 0.6% lower in 2014 compared to 2013.
The proportion of net sales from interior and exterior products in the year ended December 28, 2014, was 66.7% and 33.3%, respectively, compared to 67.5% and 32.5% in the year ended December 29, 2013. The increased proportion of net sales of our exterior products was primarily driven by a reduction in both architectural door sales and external sales of door components.
Europe, Asia and Latin America
Net sales to external customers from facilities in the Europe, Asia and Latin America segment in the year ended December 28, 2014, were $385.1 million, an increase of $45.2 million or 13.3% from $339.9 million in the year ended December 29, 2013. Net sales in 2014 were positively impacted by $5.3 million as a result of foreign exchange fluctuations. Excluding this exchange rate impact, net sales would have increased by $39.9 million or 11.7% due to changes in unit volume, average unit price and sales of other products. Average unit price increased net sales in 2014 by $20.6 million or 6.1% compared to 2013. Also contributing to this increase were higher unit volumes in 2014, which increased net sales by $17.8 million or 5.2% compared to 2013, primarily driven by the incremental sales from the Door-Stop acquisition. Additionally, net sales of other products to external customers were $1.5 million or 0.4% higher in 2014 compared to 2013.

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The proportion of net sales from interior and exterior products for the year ended December 28, 2014, was 79.2% and 20.8%, respectively, compared to 87.7% and 12.3% in the year ended December 29, 2013. The increased proportion of net sales of our exterior products was driven by the acquisition of Door-Stop, which only produces exterior products as well as the closure of our business in Poland, which primarily produced interior products.
Africa
Net sales to external customers from facilities in the Africa segment in the year ended December 28, 2014, were $56.6 million, a decrease of $13.0 million or 18.7% from $69.6 million in the year ended December 29, 2013. Net sales in 2014 were negatively impacted by $7.2 million as a result of foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Excluding this exchange rate impact, net sales would have decreased by $5.8 million or 8.3% due to changes in unit volume and average unit price. Net sales decreased by $22.9 million or 32.9% due to lower unit volumes in 2014 compared to 2013, primarily due to the explosion at the Estcourt mill that caused a disruption in production for several weeks in 2014. Changes in average unit price in 2014 increased net sales by $17.1 million or 24.6% compared to 2013.
On June 6, 2014, an explosion occurred in the power plant of our Estcourt mill in South Africa which reduced the site’s ability to generate steam and heat the kilns which, in turn, required the production lines to cease operating for several weeks. Currently, the mill is running at 100% of pre-incident levels. We are insured against property loss and business interruption, and we recognized $3.5 million in business interruption proceeds during the year ended December 28, 2014, as partial payment. These proceeds were recorded as a reduction to selling, general and administration expense in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss).
 
Cost of Goods Sold
Cost of goods sold as a percentage of net sales was 85.6% and 87.0% for the years ended December 28, 2014, and December 29, 2013, respectively. The primary reason for the decrease in cost of goods sold as a percentage of net sales was the favorable impact of average unit price on our net sales across all segments. Additionally, material cost of sales, direct labor, depreciation, distribution and overhead as a percentage of net sales in 2014 decreased 1.0%, 0.1%, 0.1%, 0.1% and 0.1% respectively, over the 2013 period.
Selling, General and Administration Expenses
In the year ended December 28, 2014, selling, general and administration expenses, as a percentage of net sales, were 12.2%, compared to 12.0% in the year ended December 29, 2013, an increase of 20 basis points.
Selling, general and administration expenses in the year ended December 28, 2014, were $224.1 million, an increase of $16.9 million from $207.2 million in the year ended December 29, 2013. The increase was driven by $7.4 million of selling, general and administration expenses incurred in the Door-Stop operations during 2014, a net increase of $5.7 million in losses on disposals of property, plant and equipment, an increase of $3.1 million in professional fees, an additional $1.9 million of share based compensation expense, an increase of $1.1 million in advertising expense, an increase of $0.7 million in bad debt expense and other increases of $1.9 million. The increase in professional fees was driven by costs associated with complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, our 2014 acquisitions and the disposition of underperforming assets. These increases were partially offset by a decrease of $4.2 million in personnel costs and a decrease due to foreign exchange impacts of $0.7 million.

Restructuring Costs
Restructuring costs in the year ended December 28, 2014, were $11.1 million, compared to $10.6 million in the year ended December 29, 2013. Restructuring costs in 2014 were related primarily to expenses incurred as part of the 2014 Plan. Costs incurred in 2013 were related primarily to the 2012 Restructuring Plan.
Asset Impairment
Asset impairment charges in the year ended December 28, 2014, were $18.2 million, compared to $1.9 million in the year ended December 29, 2013. Asset impairment charges in 2014 related to certain asset groups in the Europe, Asia and Latin America segment. Of this amount, $15.0 million related to property, plant and equipment and $3.2 million was related to definite-lived intangible assets. During the fourth quarter of 2014, management reassessed future

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cash flow expectations in certain underperforming markets in the Europe, Asia and Latin America segment. After reviewing the businesses, and in consideration of deteriorated market conditions, management initiated strategic actions which have resulted in a significant reduction in expected future cash flows. The resulting non-cash impairment charges for three of our asset groups were determined based upon the excess of the asset groups' carrying values over their respective fair values, determined using a discounted cash flows approach. Asset impairment charges in 2013 related to one piece of machinery in the North America segment. During the second quarter of 2013, management determined that the asset was no longer of any future value and the resulting non-cash impairment charge was based upon the asset's carrying value at the time of disposal.
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net, in the year ended December 28, 2014, was $41.5 million, compared to $33.2 million in the year ended December 29, 2013. This increase primarily relates to the additional interest incurred in 2014 on the additional $125.0 million principal amount of 8.25% senior unsecured notes issued January 21, 2014. The increase in indebtedness and related interest expense in Canada was due to our issuance of the senior unsecured notes, which was reported in the North America segment results.
Other Expense (Income), Net
Other expense (income), net, in the year ended December 28, 2014, was $(0.6) million, compared to $2.3 million in the year ended December 29, 2013. The change in other expense (income), net, is due to our portion of dividends and the net gains and losses related to our non-majority owned unconsolidated subsidiaries that are recognized under the equity method of accounting, unrealized gains and losses on foreign currency remeasurements and other miscellaneous non-operating expenses.
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
Our income tax expense in the year ended December 28, 2014, was $4.5 million, an increase of $25.9 million from $21.4 million of income tax benefit in the year ended December 29, 2013. Our income tax expense (benefit) is primarily due to the mix of income or losses within the tax jurisdictions with various tax rates in which we operate and income and losses in tax jurisdictions with existing valuation allowances. The increase in our income tax expense is primarily the result of a $29.6 million increase in income tax expense related to changes in our income tax valuation allowances.
Segment Information
 
Year Ended December 28, 2014
(In thousands)
North America
 
Europe, Asia and Latin America
 
Africa
 
Total
Adjusted EBITDA
$
121,069

 
$
15,755

 
$
263

 
$
137,087

Percentage of segment net sales
8.7
%
 
4.1
%
 
0.5
%
 
7.5
%
 
Year Ended December 29, 2013
(In thousands)
North America
 
Europe, Asia and Latin America
 
Africa
 
Total
Adjusted EBITDA
$
89,220

 
$
11,121

 
$
5,536

 
$
105,877

Percentage of segment net sales
6.8
%
 
3.3
%
 
8.0
%
 
6.1
%
    

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The following reconciles Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss) attributable to Masonite:    
 
Year Ended December 28, 2014
(In thousands)
North America
 
Europe, Asia and Latin America
 
Africa
 
Total
Adjusted EBITDA
$
121,069

 
$
15,755

 
$
263

 
$
137,087

Less (plus):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Depreciation
39,567

 
17,543

 
3,512

 
60,622

Amortization
16,968

 
4,500

 
254

 
21,722

Share based compensation expense
9,605

 

 

 
9,605

Loss (gain) on disposal of property, plant and equipment
3,981

 
(322
)
 
157

 
3,816

Restructuring costs
633

 
10,497

 
7

 
11,137

Asset impairment

 
18,202

 

 
18,202

Interest expense (income), net
69,559

 
(28,202
)
 
168

 
41,525

Other expense (income), net
(953
)
 
366

 

 
(587
)
Income tax expense (benefit)
6,034

 
(40
)
 
(1,461
)
 
4,533

Loss (income) from discontinued operations, net of tax
569

 
61

 

 
630

Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest
3,222

 

 

 
3,222

Net income (loss) attributable to Masonite
$
(28,116
)
 
$
(6,850
)
 
$
(2,374
)
 
$
(37,340
)
 
Year Ended December 29, 2013
(In thousands)
North America
 
Europe, Asia and Latin America
 
Africa
 
Total
Adjusted EBITDA
$
89,220

 
$
11,121

 
$
5,536

 
$
105,877

Less (plus):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Depreciation
43,151

 
15,156

 
3,773

 
62,080

Amortization
15,079

 
1,979

 

 
17,058

Share based compensation expense
7,752

 

 

 
7,752

Loss (gain) on disposal of property, plant and equipment
944

 
(2,602
)
 
(117
)
 
(1,775
)
Registration and listing fees
2,421

 

 

 
2,421

Restructuring costs
2,791

 
6,697

 
1,142

 
10,630

Asset impairment
1,904

 

 

 
1,904

Interest expense (income), net
63,003

 
(29,911
)
 
138

 
33,230

Other expense (income), net
(848
)
 
3,164

 

 
2,316

Income tax expense (benefit)
(20,389
)
 
(1,507
)
 
519

 
(21,377
)
Loss (income) from discontinued operations, net of tax
598