UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 30, 201728, 2019

OR

For the transition period from to

Commission file number 0-18914

DORMAN PRODUCTS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

3400 East Walnut Street, Colmar, Pennsylvania 18915

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(215) 997-1800

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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 ☒  No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Act. Yes ☐   No ☒

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 ☒  No ☐ 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, 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 ☒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. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer", "accelerated filer", “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐       No ☒

As of February 19, 201821, 2020 the registrant had 33,568,07032,554,663 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value, outstanding. The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of July 1, 2017June 29, 2019 was $1,948,324,106.

$1,964,315,544.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Certain portions of the registrant's definitive proxy statement, in connection with its Annual Meeting of Shareholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after December 30, 2017,28, 2019, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K10-K.

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DORMAN PRODUCTS, INC.

INDEX TO ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

DECEMBER 30, 201728, 2019

The Company’s fiscal year ends on the last Saturday of the calendar year.

As used herein, unless the context otherwise requires, “Dorman,” the Company, “we,” “us,” or “our” refers to Dorman Products, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

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This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains the registered and unregistered trademarks or service marks of Dorman and are the property of Dorman Products, Inc. and/or its affiliates. This Annual Report on Form 10-K also contains additional trade names, trademarks or service marks belonging to us and other companies. We do not intend our use or display of other parties’ trademarks, trade names or service marks to imply, and such use or display should not be construed to imply, a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by these parties.

Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this document constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements related to net sales, gross profit, gross margin, SG&A expenses, net income, diluted earnings per share, customs duties, the Company’s site consolidation activities and duplication of facility costs, operational costs, continued launch of new products, growth rates and future growth prospects, long-term value, acquisition opportunities and the Company’s outlook based on its addressable market the Company’s growth opportunities, future business prospects, costs and timing of our site consolidation efforts, net sales, margins, acquisitions, investments, cost offsets, quarterly fluctuations, new product development, customer concessions, fluctuations in foreign currency, mitigation of tariffs, available capital and liquidity. Words such as “may,” “believe,” “demonstrate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “will” and “likely” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean the statements are not forward-looking. In addition, statements that are not historical should also be considered forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on those forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statement was made. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations that involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors (many of which are outside of our control) which may cause actual events to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated or projected. For information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the information contained in this report, reference is made to the information in Part I, “Item 1A, “Risk Factors.” The Company is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update any of the information in this report if any forward-looking statement later turns out to be inaccurate whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

PART I

Item 1. Business.

General

Dorman Products, Inc. was incorporated in Pennsylvania in October 1978. As used herein, unless the context otherwise requires, “Dorman”, the “Company”, “we”, “us”, or “our” refers to Dorman Products, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

We believe we are aone of the leading suppliersuppliers of replacement parts and fasteners for passenger cars, light trucks, and heavy duty trucks in the automotive aftermarket. We distributeaftermarket industry. As of December 28, 2019, we marketed approximately 78,000 unique parts as compared to approximately 77,000 as of December 29, 2018, many of which we designed and market approximately 216,000 differentengineered. Unique parts exclude private label stock keeping units (“SKU’s”) and other variations in how we market, package and distribute our products, but include unique parts of automotive replacement parts and fasteners, manyacquired companies. We are one of which we design and engineer. We believe we are athe leading aftermarket suppliersuppliers of original equipment (“OE”) “dealer exclusive” items. Original equipment “dealer exclusive” items are those which were traditionally available to consumers only from original equipment manufacturers or used parts from salvage yards and include, among other parts, intake manifolds, exhaust manifolds, window regulators, radiator fan assemblies, tire pressure monitor sensors, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) coolers and complex electronics modules. Fasteners include such items as oil drain plugs, wheel bolts, and wheel lug nuts. Approximately 84%For fiscal 2019, approximately 72% of our products are sold under brands that we own, and the remainder of our products are sold for resale under customers' private labels, other brands or in bulk. Our products are sold primarily in the United States through automotive aftermarket retailers (such as Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (“Advance”), AutoZone, Inc. (“AutoZone”), and O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (“O’Reilly”)), including through their online platforms; national, regional and local warehouse distributors (such as Genuine Parts Co. – NAPA (“NAPA”)); and specialty markets, and salvage yards. We also distribute automotive replacementaftermarket parts internationally, with sales primarily into Canada and Mexico, and to a lesser extent, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia.

The Automotive Aftermarket Industry

The automotive replacement parts marketaftermarket industry has two components:distinct sectors: parts for passenger cars and light trucks, which accounted for projected industry sales of approximately $286.9$305.5 billion in 20172019¹, and parts for medium and heavy duty trucks, which accounted for projected industry sales of approximately $94.2$99.8 billion in 20172019¹. We marketsell products primarily for passenger cars and light trucks, including those with diesel engines and, since 2012, for medium and heavy duty trucks. Two distinct groups of end-users buy replacement vehicle (automotiveparts for passenger cars and truck) parts:light trucks: (i) individual consumers, who purchase parts to perform "do-it-yourself" repairs on their own vehicles; and (ii) professional installers, which include vehicle repair shops and the dealership service departments. The individual consumer market isIndividual consumers typically are supplied through retailers and through the retail arms of warehouse distributors. Vehicle repair shops generally purchase parts through local independent parts wholesalers and through national parts distributors. Automobile dealership service departments generally obtain parts through the distribution systems of vehicle manufacturers and specialized national and regional parts distributors.

Spending in the aftermarket for parts for passenger cars and light vehicle aftermarkettrucks, as well as medium and heavy duty trucks, generally can be generally grouped into three categories: discretionary, maintenance, and repair. Discretionary, such as accessories and performance, tends to move in-line with consumer discretionary spending. Maintenance is composed of products and services, such as oil and oil changes, and tends to be less correlated with discretionary spending. The repair categoryRepair consists mainly of replacement parts which fail over time and tends to be less cyclical as it is largely comprised of parts necessary for a vehicle to function properly or safely. The majority of our products fall into the repair category.

The increasing complexity of automobiles and the number of different makes and models of automobiles have resulted in a significant increase in the number of products required to service the domestic and foreign automotive fleet.fleets. Accordingly, the number of parts required to be carried by retailers and wholesale distributors has increased substantially.substantially, which is reflected in the increase in the number of unique parts we marketed in 2019 as compared to

2018. The requirement to include more products in inventory and the significant consolidation among distributors of automotive replacement parts have in turn resulted in larger distributors.

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See Item 1A, “Risk Factors” for information regarding the potential impacts of consolidation on our business.

Retailers and others who purchase aftermarket automotive repair and replacementaftermarket parts for resale are constrained to a finite amount of space in which to display and stock products. Thus, the reputation for quality, customer service, and line profitability which a supplier enjoys are significant factors in a purchaser'sretailer’s or other reseller’s decision as to which product lines to carry in the limited space available. Further, because of the efficiencies achieved through the ability to order all or part of a complete line of products from one supplier (with possible volume discounts), as opposed to satisfying the same requirements through a variety of different sources, retailers and other purchasersresellers of automotive aftermarket parts seek to purchase products from fewer but stronger suppliers.

Brands and Products

The DORMAN® Products brand name is known as a leader in the automotive and heavy duty markets.  DORMAN® is the parent brand covering a number of sub-brands within the DORMAN® portfolio.  

A unique differentiator forWe market our products under the DORMAN® brand isname and several sub-brands, which identify products that address specific segments of the automotive aftermarket industry. In addition, across all of our OE Fix sub-brand.sub-brands, customers can find a subset of products that have been branded OE Fix products can be found throughout our portfolio of sub-brands and feature extensive engineering to eliminate known OE failures or allows for the replacement of the part, not the assembly, saving time and money.products.

Our OE FIX products solve common problems with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) repair alternative. These products are made to better serve the installer and vehicle owner by helping to reduce repair costs, save installation time, increase reliability and improve serviceability. 

Some of our most popular brands include:

DORMAN® OE Solutions ™® - A wide variety of formerly “dealer only” replacement parts we introduced to the automotive aftermarket, covering many product categories across all areas of the vehicle, including fluid reservoirs, variable value timing components, complex electronics, and integrated door lock actuators.

DORMAN® HELP! ® - Broad assortment of formerly “dealer only”small automotive replacement parts that are primarily sold in retail store fronts such as door handles, keyless remotes and cases and door hinge repair.repair parts.

DORMAN® HD Solutions™ - A line of formerly “dealer only” heavyHeavy duty aftermarket parts for class 4-8 vehicles. These products are focused oninclude lighting, cooling, engine management, wheel hardware, air tanks and cab products.

DORMAN® Premium Chassis - A complete premium chassis line. DORMAN® Premium XL® offers leading low-friction technology found in today’s late model automobiles. DORMAN® Premium RD®, offers solutions for rugged duty and fleet applications. MAS® offers replacement chassis part solutions for everyday driving.

Other trade brands in the portfolio include:  DORMAN FirstStop™, a complete offering of brake hardware products, DORMAN® ConductTite®, electrical components and DORMAN® AutoGrade™, application specific repair hardware.

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We group our products into four major classes: power-train, chassis, automotive body, chassis, and hardware. The following table represents each of the four classes as a percentage of net sales for each of the last three fiscal years:

Our power-train product line includes intake and exhaust manifolds, cooling products, harmonic balancers, fluid lines, fluid reservoirs, connectors, 4 wheel4-wheel drive components and axles, drain plugs, and other engine, transmission and axle components. Chassis products include control arms, brake hardware and hydraulics, wheel and axle hardware, suspension arms, knuckles, links, bushings, and other suspension, steering, and brake components. Our line of automotive body products include door handles and hinges, window lift motors, window regulators, switches and handles, wiper components, lighting, electrical, and other interior and exterior automotive body components. Chassis products include control arms, brake hardware and hydraulics, wheel and axle hardware, suspension arms, knuckles, links, bushings, and other suspension, steering, and brake components.  Hardware products include threaded bolts, auto body and home fasteners, automotive and home electrical wiring components, and other hardware assortments and merchandise.

We warrant our products against certain defects in material and workmanship when used as designed on the vehicle on which it was originally installed. We offer a limited lifetime warranty on most of our products. Our standard warranty limits the customer’s remedy to the repair or replacement of the part that is defective.

Product Development

Product development and continuous innovation are central to our business. The development of a broad range of products, many of which are not conveniently or economically available elsewhere, has enabled us to grow to our present size and is an important driver tofor our future growth. Our product strategy has been to design and engineer products, many of which we believe are better and easier to install and/or use than the original parts they replace, and to commercialize automotive parts for the broadest possible range of uses. New product ideas are reviewed by our product management staff as well as by members of the supply chain, sales, finance, marketing, legal, and administrative staffs.a cross-functional in-house team. The following table represents the number of unique parts we introduced for each of the last three fiscal years:

Through careful evaluationFor example, in 2019, we introduced several new product categories to the aftermarket, including direct fit, remanufactured infotainment units, magnetic ride control shock absorbers and axle support bearing brackets. Each of high failure-prone parts, exacting designthese solutions gives installers and precise engineering,consumers additional choice when searching for reliable, affordable replacements.

Other innovative technologies we released in 2019 include ABS control modules, electric power steering pumps and electronic throttle bodies, many of which are frequently ableOE FIX products that offer additional durability against wear and elements to offerreduce potential failure points and help avoid future repairs.

Our product teams also grow categories by introducing new products whichthat are designed to fit a broader rangemore vehicles, providing enhanced opportunities for aftermarket service providers to serve their customers. In 2019, we extended our lines in strategic categories such as fuel tanks and fillers, knuckle assemblies and drive shafts.

Some of makesour most popular innovations are those that help save vehicle owners significant savings over other repair alternatives, such as rust repair solutions. Our truck bed floor supports, differential covers and models, as well as a wider range of application years than the original equipment parts they replace. One such innovation is our replacement spare tire hoist, which through several mechanical design changes allow us to offer a part that replaces three original equipment parts, and now fits common domestic models over a thirteen year range.

Our new line of pre-pressed wheel hub and bearing assembly solutions have been developed to address an ongoing technician challenge relating to providing a comprehensive part repair. We have eliminatedfuel tank crossmembers often eliminate the need for the automotive technician to disassemble corroded/worn out componentsreplace entire truck beds, axles and to reuse them with new bearings. Our solution offers a 100% new component assembly replacement which increases bay turns and optimizes the technician’s speedother large vehicle sections by facilitating direct repair of repair. Additionally, crankcase ventilation filters are another new-to the-aftermarket solution we have pioneered, leveraging a strong team of engineers and intellectual property attorneys to redesign this emission filter to meet stringent, regulated EPA standards. We developed, engineered and utilized a proprietary design to create a new, patented aftermarket solution to meet the needs of the end technician. This flexibility assistscorroded components.

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retailersWe also grew our lines of diesel and other purchasersheavy duty solutions in maximizing the productivityfiscal 2019, introducing hundreds of the limited space available for each class of part sold. Further, where possible, we improve our parts so that they are better than the parts they replace. Finally, we make every attempt to look at the repair through the eyes of the end user,new products in categories such as heavy duty air tanks, heavy duty wheel hardware and redesign many of our items to make installation easier, resulting in lower total cost for the repair. In addition, we often package different items in complete kits to further aide installationdiesel aftertreatment, such as hydrocarbon injectors, DPF filters and value.

Ideas for expansion of our product lines arise through a variety of sources. We maintain an in-house product management staff that routinely generates ideas for new parts and the expansion of existing lines. Further, we maintain an "800" telephone number and an Internet site for "new product ideas" and receive, through our sales force, product development team, or our website, many ideas from our customers and end-users as to which types of presently unavailable parts the ultimate consumers are seeking.OE FIX EGT sensors.

Sales and Marketing

We market our products to three groups of purchasers who in turn supply individual consumers and professional installers. Our products are also available in our customers’ retail stores, on our customers’ websites, and through warehouse distributors. Based on net sales to our customers as of December 30, 2017:28, 2019:

(i) approximately 48%52% of our revenuesnet sales were generated from sales to automotive aftermarket retailers, (suchincluding major chains such as, Advance, AutoZone and O'Reilly), local independent parts wholesalers and national general merchandise chain retailers. We sell many of our products to virtually all major chains of automotive aftermarket retailers;O'Reilly;

(ii) approximately 48%41% of our revenuesnet sales were generated from sales to automotive partswarehouse distributors, (suchsuch as NAPA),NAPA, which may be local, regional or national in scope, and which also may also engage in retail sales; and

(iii) the balanceapproximately 7% of our revenues (approximately 4%) arenet sales were generated from international salesour heavy duty channel and sales to special markets, which include, among others, mass merchants, (suchsuch as Wal-Mart),Wal-Mart, salvage yards and the parts distribution systems of OE parts manufacturers.

We usehave a number of different methods to sell our products. Our more than 60 person direct sales force and sales support staff solicits purchasesteam of over 90 people who sell our products either directly fromto our customers as well as manages the activities of approximately 35or, with respect to certain select customers, indirectly through independent manufacturers’ representative agencies worldwide. We use independent manufacturers’ representative agencies to help service existing automotive retail, automotive and heavy duty parts distribution customers, providing frequent on-site contact. We increase sales by securing new customers, by adding new product lines and expanding product selection within existing customers. For certain of our major customers, and our private label purchasers, we rely primarily upon the direct efforts of our sales force who, together with our marketing department and our executive officers, coordinate the more complex pricing and ordering requirements of these accounts.

Our sales efforts are not directed merely at selling individual products, but rather more broadly towards selling our entire product portfolioportfolio. Our sales strategy includes increasing sales not only by securing new customers, but also by adding new product lines and by expanding product selection within existing customers, in an effort to make our customers a destination for new to the aftermarketnew-to-the-aftermarket products.

We prepare a number of on-lineuse online catalogs, application guides, digital marketing tools, training materials, videos and videos designedadditional content to describe and sell our products and other applications as well as to train our customers' sales teamsteams. Our primary website, www.dormanproducts.com, provides a search engine that can be used to search our extensive catalog. The information on the website is not and should not be considered part of this Form 10-K and is not incorporated by reference in the promotion and salethis Form 10-K.

As of our products. Catalogs of all our parts are available on our website.  

We currently serviceDecember 28, 2019, we serviced more than 2,4002,600 active accounts. During fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 20162018 and fiscal 2015,2017, four customers (Advance, AutoZone, NAPA, and O'Reilly) each accounted for more than 10% of net sales and in the aggregate accounted for approximately 61%66% of net sales in fiscal 2017,2019, 63% in fiscal 2018, and 60%61% in each of fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015.  2017.

Manufacturing and Procurement

Substantially all of our products are manufactured by third parties. We engage professional manufacturing firms around the world to develop and manufacture products according to our performance and design specifications, using tooling that we own. In fiscal 2017,2019, as a percentage of our total dollar volume of purchases, approximately 29%21% of our products were purchased from various suppliers throughout the United States and the

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balance of our products were purchased directly from suppliers in a varietyoutside of foreign countries.the United States. Our global supplier network provides access to a broad array of manufacturing capabilities and technologies while limiting our dependency on any single source of supply. While our supplier selection and sourcing programs will continue to leverage our strategic manufacturing firms, for a substantial portion of our product portfolio, we also have qualified alternative sources available to provide additional support and capacity, if needed. We make a concerted effort to build and nurture strong, healthy relationships with our suppliers. We purchaseIn fiscal 2019, we purchased automotive products

in substantial volumes from over 210250 suppliers. For fiscal 2017,2019, no single manufacturersupplier accounted for more than 10% of our total product purchases. 

Packaging, Inventory and Shipping

Finished products are received at one or more of our facilities, depending on the type of part. It is our practice to inspect samples of shipments based upon supplier performance. If cleared, these shipments of finished parts are logged into our computerized production tracking systems and staged for packaging, if necessary.

We employ a variety of custom-designed packaging machines which include blister sealing, skin film sealing, clamshell sealing, bagging and boxing lines. Packaged product generally contains our label (or a private label), a part number, a universal packaging bar code suitable for electronic scanning, a description of the part and, if appropriate, installation instructions. Products are also sold in bulk to automotive parts manufacturers and packagers. Computerized tracking systems, mechanical counting devices and experienced workers combine to assurehelp ensure that the proper variety and numbers of parts meet the correct packaging materials at the appropriate places and times to produce the required quantities of finished products.

Packaged inventory is stocked in the warehouse portions of our facilities and is organized to facilitate the most efficient methods of retrieving product to fill customer orders. We strive to maintain a level of inventory to adequately meet current customer order demand with additional inventory to satisfy new customer orders and special programs.

We ship our products from each of our locations by contract carrier, common carrier or parcel service. Products are generally shipped to theeach customer's main warehouses for redistribution within their network. In certain circumstances, at the request of the customer, we ship directly to the customer's warehouses, stores or other locations either via smaller direct ship orders or consolidated store orders that are cross docked.

Core

Certain products we sell contain parts that can be recycled, or as more commonly referred to in our industry, remanufactured. We refer to the used product that is ultimately remanufactured as core. A used core is remanufactured and sold to the customer as a replacement for a unit on a vehicle. Customers and end-users that purchase remanufactured products will generally return the used core to us, which we then use in the remanufacturing process to make another finished good. Our core inventory consists of used cores purchased and held in our facilities, used cores that are in the process of being returned from our customers and end-users, and remanufactured cores held in finished goods inventory at our facilities. Our products that utilize cores primarily include instrument clusters, hybrid batteries and climate control modules.

Competition

The replacement automotive partsaftermarket industry is highly competitive. Various competitive factors affecting the automotive aftermarket are price, product quality, breadth of product line, range of applications and customer service. Substantially all of our products are subject to competition with similar products manufactured by other manufacturers of automotive aftermarket automotive repair and replacement parts. Some of these competitors are divisions and subsidiaries of companies much larger than us and possess a longer history of operations and greater financial and other resources than we do. We also face competition from automobileOE manufacturers who sell through their dealerships many of the same replacement parts that we sell, although these manufacturers generally sell parts only for cars they produce. Our customers may also be successful in sourcing some of our products directly from suppliers. Further, some of our private label customers also compete with us. For more information on risks relating to our competition, see Item 1A, “Risk Factors – Our industry is highly competitive, and our success depends on our ability to compete with suppliers of automotive aftermarket products, some of which may have substantially greater financial, marketing and other resources than we do.”

Seasonality

Our business is somewhat seasonal in nature, with the highest sales usually occurring in the spring and summer months. In addition, our business can be affected by weather conditions. Extremely hot or cold weather tends to enhance sales by causinggenerally results in an increase in automotive parts to failfailure at an accelerated rate.rate, which generally leads to an increase in our sales for the duration of the extreme weather event.

Proprietary RightsPatents, Trademarks and Other Intellectual Property

WhileWe own a number of patents important to our business, and we take stepsexpect to registercontinue to file patent applications to protect our research and development investments in new products. As of December 28, 2019, we held 62 patents and 18 pending patent applications, including foreign counterpart patents and foreign applications. For the U.S., patents may be 20 years from the date of the patent's filing, depending upon term adjustments made by the patent office. In addition, we hold numerous trademarks, in the U.S. and in other countries. We also have licenses to intellectual property for the manufacture, use and sale of certain of our products.

We obtain patent and other intellectual property rights used in connection with our business when practicable and appropriate. Historically, we have done so both organically, through commercial relationships, and in connection with acquisitions.

For more information concerning the risks related to patents, trademarks and copyrights when possible, we believe thatother intellectual property, see Item 1A, "Risk Factors-Risks Related to Our Business-Intellectual Property and Information Security-We may be subject to litigation and infringement claims, which could cause us to incur significant expenses or prevent us from selling our products or services." and “Claims of intellectual property infringement by original equipment manufacturers and others could adversely affect our business is not heavily dependent on such trademark and copyright registration. Similarly, while we actively seek patent protection for the products and improvements which wenegatively impact our ability to develop we do not believe that patent protection is critical

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to the success of our business. Rather, the quality, price, customer service and availability of our product is critical to our success.new products.”

Employees

As noted below, atAt December 30, 2017,28, 2019, we had 2,0612,742 employees worldwide, essentiallyof which less than 10 were employed part-time and all of whichothers were employed full-time. “Operations” consists of employees engaged in production, inventory and quality control. “Product Development” includes employees involved in product development and purchasing. “Quality and Engineering” consists of employees involved in internal and external quality management, manufacturing engineering, design, and testing. “Sales” includes employees employed in sales and customer service. “Administration” includes executive officers and individuals employed in finance, legal, information technology, and human resources. The number of employees will be affected by planned and unplanned open positions at any point in time.

None of our global employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We consider our relations with our employees to be generally good.

Available Information

Our Internet address is www.dormanproducts.com. The information on thisthe website is not and should not be considered part of this Form 10-K and is not incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K. ThisThe website is, and is only intended to be, for reference purposes only. We make available free of charge on or through our website our Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In addition, we will provide, at no cost, paper or

electronic copies of our reports and other filings made with the SEC. Requests should be directed to: Attention: Corporate Secretary, Dorman Products, Inc. - Office of General Counsel,, 3400 East Walnut Street, Colmar, Pennsylvania 18915.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the following factors, which could materially affect our business, financial condition or future results. The risks described below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially affect our business, financial conditions or results of operations. The risks are listed below in no particular order.

We May Lose BusinessOur industry is highly competitive, and our success depends on our ability to Competitors.

Competition within thecompete with suppliers of automotive aftermarket parts businessproducts, some of which may have substantially greater financial, marketing and other resources than we do.

The automotive aftermarket industry is intense.  Wehighly competitive, and our success depends on our ability to compete in North America with both original equipment parts manufacturersdomestic and with companies that, like us, supply parts onlyinternational suppliers of automotive aftermarket products. Due to the automotive aftermarket. We alsodiversity of our product offering, we compete against a large cross section of aftermarket companies and brands, including, but not limited to, Cardone Industries, Inc., Standard Motor Products, Inc., Tenneco, Inc., Bosch Auto Parts, Gates Corporation, Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (VDO), MevoTech LP, ACDelco (owned by General Motors Company), Motorcraft (owned by Ford Motor Company) and numerous category specific competitors. In addition, we face competition from automobileoriginal equipment manufacturers, who sellwhich, through their automotive dealerships, supply many of the same types of replacement parts that we sell.  Our customers may also be successful in sourcing some

Some of our competitors may have larger customer bases and significantly greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. These factors may allow our competitors to:

•engage in more extensive research and development;

•sell products directly from suppliers.  at lower prices than we do;

•undertake more extensive marketing campaigns; and

•make more attractive offers to existing and potential customers and strategic partners.

We expectcannot assure you that our competitors will not develop products or services that are equal or superior to our products or that achieve greater market acceptance than our products or that in the future other companies involved in the automotive aftermarket industry will not expand their operations into product lines produced and sold by us. We also cannot assure you that additional entrants will not enter the automotive aftermarket industry or that companies in the aftermarket industry will not consolidate. Any such competitioncompetitive pressures could cause us to continue.  If we are unable to compete successfullylose market share or could result in significant price decreases and could have a material adverse effect upon our industry, we could lose customers.business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Unfavorable Economic Conditions May Adversely Affect Our Business.economic conditions may adversely affect our business.

Adverse changes in economic conditions, including inflation, recession, increases in fuel prices, tariffs, unemployment levels, availability of consumer credit, taxation or instability in the financial markets or credit markets may either lower demand for our products or increase our operational costs, or both. Such conditions may also materially impact our customers, suppliers and other parties with whom we do business. Our revenue will be adversely affected if demand for our products declines. The impact of unfavorable economic conditions may also impair the ability of our customers to pay for products they have purchased. As a result, reserves for doubtful accounts and write-offs of accounts receivables may increase and failure to collect a significant portion of amounts due on those receivables could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The loss or decrease in sales among one of our top customers, or a material change in the terms on which they are willing to buy from us, could have a substantial negative impact on our results of operationssales and financial condition.  

The Loss or Decrease in Sales Among One of Our Top Customers Could Have a Substantial Negative Impact on Our Sales and Operating Results.operating results.

A significant percentage of our sales has been, and is expected to be, concentrated among a relatively small number of customers. During fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 20162018 and fiscal 2015,2017, four customers (Advance, AutoZone, NAPA and O'Reilly) each accounted for more than 10% of net sales and in the aggregate accounted for approximately 61%66% of net sales in fiscal 2017,2019, 63% in fiscal 2018, and 60%61% in each of fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015.2017. We anticipate that this concentration of sales among these customers will continue in the future. The loss of a significant customer or a substantial decrease in sales to such a customer could have a material adverse effect on our sales and operating results. In addition, any consolidation among our key customers may further increase our customer concentration risk.

Also, while we may enter into long-term agreements with certain of our significant customers, those agreements generally do not contain purchase commitments, which instead are set forth in individual purchase orders submitted by customers based on their then-current or projected needs. We have in the past, and may in the future, lose customers or lose a particular product line of a customer due to the highly competitive conditions in the automotive aftermarket industry, consolidation of customers and customer initiatives to buy direct from foreign suppliers or other business considerations. A decision by any significant customer, whether motivated by competitive conditions, financial difficulties or otherwise, to materially decrease the amount of products purchased from us, to change their manner of doing business with us, or to stop doing business with us, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Because our sales are concentrated, and the market in which we operate is very competitive, we are under ongoing pressure from our customers to offer lower prices, extend payment terms, increase marketing allowances, provide enhanced rebates, rights of return and credits and offer other terms more favorable to these customers. These customer demands have put continued pressure on our operating margins and profitability and in the future could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

There is substantial price competition in our industry, and our success and profitability will depend on our ability to maintain a competitive cost and price structure.

There is substantial price competition in our industry, and our success and profitability will depend on our ability to maintain a competitive cost and price structure. This is the result of a number of industry trends, including the consolidated purchasing power of large customers and actions taken by some of our competitors in an effort to attract new business, such as enhancing their online presence. Price reductions may be required to remain competitive in light of such industry trends, and such reductions may impact our sales and profit margins. Our future profitability will depend in part upon our ability to respond to changes in product and distribution channel mix, to continue to improve our manufacturing efficiencies, to generate cost reductions, including reductions in the cost of components purchased from outside suppliers, and to maintain a cost structure that will enable us to offer competitive prices. Our inability to maintain a competitive cost structure could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Customer Consolidationconsolidation in the Automotive Aftermarket May Leadautomotive aftermarket industry may lead to Customer Contract Terms Less Favorablecustomer contract terms less favorable to Us Which May Negatively Impact Our Financial Results.us which may negatively impact our financial results.

The automotive aftermarket industry has been consolidating over the past several years. By way of example, in January 2014, Advance Auto Parts acquired General Parts International, Inc. (Carquest), one of the largest automotive parts distributors. As a result of such consolidations, many of our customers have grown larger and therefore have more leverage in the arms-length negotiations of agreements with us for the sale of our products. Customers may require us to provide extended payment terms, issue customer credits and accept returns of slow moving product in order to obtain new, or retain existing, business. While we attempt to avoid or minimize such concessions, in some cases payment terms to customers have been extended, enhanced customer credits have been issued and returns of product have exceeded historical levels. The product returns and customer credits primarily affect our net sales and profit levels while payment terms extensions generally reduce operating cash flow and require additional capital to finance our business. We expect both of these trends to continue for the foreseeable future.

Our Business Maybusiness may be Negatively Impacted By Foreign Currency Fluctuationsnegatively impacted by foreign currency fluctuations and Our Dependenceour dependence on Foreign Suppliersforeign suppliers.

In fiscal 2017,2019, approximately 71%79% of our products were purchased from aupplierssuppliers in a variety of foreign countries.countries, with the largest portion of our overseas purchases being made in China. The products generally are purchased through purchase orders with the purchase price specified in U.S. Dollars. Accordingly, we generally do not have direct exposure to fluctuations in the relationship between the U.S. Dollar and various foreign currencies between the time of execution of the purchase order and payment for the product. To the extent that the U.S. Dollar decreases in value relative to foreign currencies in the future, the price of the product in U.S. Dollars for new purchase orders may increase.

The largest portion of our overseas purchases is from China. However, the products generally are purchased through purchase orders with the purchase price specified in U.S. dollars. The Chinese Yuan to U.S. Dollar exchange rate has fluctuated over the past several years. Any future changeyears, and, to the extent that the U.S. Dollar decreases in the value ofrelative to the Chinese Yuan relative toor any other foreign currencies in the U.S. Dollar may impactfuture, the costprices of products that wein U.S. Dollars for new purchase from China.orders may increase.

As a result of the magnitude of our foreign sourcing, our business may be subject to various risks, including the following:

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If these risks limit or prevent us from acquiring products from foreign suppliers or significantly increase the cost of our products, our operations could be seriously disrupted until alternative suppliers are found, which could negatively impacthave a material adverse effect upon our business.

Additionally, we recently acquired a business, based in Montreal, Canada, whose operations are conducted in both U.S. Dollarfinancial condition and Canadian Dollar currencies.  Since our consolidated financial statements are denominated in U.S. dollars, amountsresults of assets, liabilities, net sales, and other revenues and expenses denominated in local currencies must be translated into U.S. dollars using exchange rates for the current period.  As a result, foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations in those rates could adversely impact our financial performance.operations.

We Extend Creditextend credit to Our Customers Who May Be Unableour customers, some of whom may be unable to Pay Inpay in the Future.future.

We regularly extend credit to our customers. A significant percentage of our accounts receivable have been, and are expected to continue to be concentrated among a relatively small number of automotive retailers and automotive parts distributors in the United States. Our fivefour largest customers accounted for 85%80% of total accounts receivable as of December 30, 201728, 2019 and 87%76% of total accounts receivable as of December 31, 2016.29, 2018. Management continually monitors the credit terms, and credit limits, and the availability of credit insurance for these and other customers. If any of these customers were unable to pay, it could have a material adverse effect upon our business, and financial condition and results of operations.

Our operations would be materially and adversely affected.affected if we are unable to purchase raw materials, finished goods, equipment, manufactured components, or “core” products from our suppliers.

Because we purchase various types of raw materials, finished goods, equipment, and manufactured component parts from suppliers, we may be materially and adversely affected by the failure of those suppliers to perform as expected. This non-performance may consist of delivery delays or failures caused by production issues or delivery of non-conforming products. The Lossrisk of non-performance may also result from the insolvency or bankruptcy of one or more of our suppliers. Our suppliers’ ability to supply products to us is also subject to a Key Supplier Could Leadnumber of risks, including availability and cost of raw materials, destruction of their facilities, work stoppages or health crises. For example, the recent coronavirus outbreak in China may have a lasting impact on global production and industrial supply chains. In addition, our failure to Increased Costs and Lower Profit Margins.

The majoritypromptly pay, or order sufficient quantities of inventory from our suppliers may increase the cost of products we purchase or may lead to suppliers refusing to sell products to us at all.

Furthermore, because certain products we sell contain parts that can be recycled and remanufactured, which parts are purchasedmore commonly referred to in our industry, as “core,” our ability to sell those products may be materially and adversely affected if we are unable to obtain those core parts from a number of foreign suppliers.our suppliers on favorable terms, if at all.

Our efforts to protect against and to minimize these risks may not always be effective. If any of our key suppliers fail to meet our needs or if our relationships with any of our key suppliers are not maintained, it may not be possible to replace such supplier without a disruptiondisruptions in our operations. For example, we may experience delays in supply of manufacturing as new suppliers are qualified or as tooling is moved or replaced. Furthermore, replacement of a key supplier is often at higher prices.prices, which could result in lower profit margins and could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Limited Shelf Space May Adversely Affect Our Abilityshelf space may adversely affect our ability to Expand Our Product Offerings.expand our product offerings.

Since the amount of space available to a retailer and other purchasers of our products is limited, our products compete with other automotive aftermarket products, some of which are entirely dissimilar and otherwise non-competitive (such as car waxes and engine oil), for shelf and floor space. No assurance can be given that additional space will be available in our customers' stores to support any expansion of the number of products that we offer. Any failure to maintain and/or grow our shelf or floor space could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we do not continue to develop new products and bring them to market, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially impacted.

Our historical growth and profitability has depended, in part, on the introduction of new parts to the automotive aftermarket industry. We Do Not Continuecontinually invest in research and development to Develop New Productssustain or enhance our existing product portfolio. In certain circumstances, there may be a lengthy period between commencing these development initiatives and Bring Thembringing new or improved products to Market, Our Business, Financial Conditionmarket. During this time, technology advancements, customer demand and Resultsthe markets for our products may move in directions that we had not anticipated. There is no guarantee that our new products, or enhancements to existing products, will achieve market acceptance or that the timing of Operations Could Be Materially Impacted.market adoption will be as predicted. As a result, there is a significant possibility that some of our development decisions, including significant expenditures on acquisitions, research and development, or investments in technologies, will not meet our expectations, and that our investment in some projects will be unprofitable. There is also a possibility that we may miss a market opportunity because we failed to invest or invested too late in a technology, product or enhancement sought by our customers or the markets into which we sell. If we fail to make the right investments or fail to make them at the right time, competing solutions may be more attractive in the market. As a result, our competitive position may suffer, and our revenue and profitability could be adversely affected.

The development and production of any new products is often accompanied by design and production delays and related costs typically associated with the development and production of new products.costs. While we expect and plan for such delays and related costs, we cannot predict with precision the time and expense required to overcome these initial problems so that the products comply with specifications. Moreover, as a supplier in the automotive aftermarket industry, we may face additional challenges in designing and producing replacement products as original equipment manufacturers design parts that contain enhanced technology features or that are required to interface with other vehicle systems in order to work properly. There is a risk that we may not be able to introduce or bring to full-scale production new products as quickly as we expected in our product introduction plans, which could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our business is impacted by the age, condition and number of vehicles that need servicing and by improvements in the quality of new vehicle parts.

The size of the automobile aftermarket industry depends, in part, upon the growth in number of vehicles on the road, increase in average vehicle age, change in total miles driven per year, new or modified environmental and vehicle safety regulations, including fuel-efficiency and emissions reduction standards, increase in pricing of new cars and new car quality and related warranties. The automobile aftermarket industry has been negatively impacted by the fact that the quality of more recent automotive vehicles and their component parts (and related warranties) has improved, thereby lengthening the repair cycle. Generally, if parts last longer, there will be less demand for our

products, and the average useful life of automobile parts has been steadily increasing in recent years due to innovations in products and technology. In addition, the introduction by original equipment manufacturers of increased warranty and maintenance initiatives has the potential to decrease the demand for our products. These factors could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may be adversely impacted by changes in, or restrictions on access to, automotive technology.

The automotive aftermarket industry is experiencing a period of significant technological change as a result of the trends toward the integration of advanced electronics into traditional products and the increase in the number of vehicles powered by fuel cells or electricity. Software, firmware, and hardware increasingly are becoming functionally integrated with, and inseparable from, physical automotive parts. While, traditionally, repair shops and car owners could diagnose and repair their automobiles with mechanical adjustments, today they often need access to vehicles’ control units using laptops, complex diagnostic tools and software. Restrictions on access to testing and diagnostic tools, software, telematics, data and repair information imposed by the original vehicle manufacturers or by governmental regulations may force vehicle owners to rely on dealers to perform maintenance and repairs. This in turn could limit our ability to design, manufacture and sell new products and could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

These trends have led to an increase in the significance of technology to our current and future products and the amount of capital we need to invest to develop these new technologies, as well as an increase in the amount of competition we face from technology focused new market entrants. If we misjudge the amount of capital to invest or are otherwise unable to continue providing products that meet our customers’ needs in this environment of rapid technological change, our market competitiveness could be adversely affected, which could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We May Be Adversely Affected By Changesare dependent, in Automotive Technology and Improvements in the Quality of New Vehicle Parts.

Ourpart, on our intellectual property. If we are not able to protect our proprietary rights or if those rights are invalidated or circumvented, our business and financial condition may be adversely impactedaffected.

Our business is dependent, in part, on our ability to innovate, and, as a result, we are reliant on our intellectual property. We generally protect our intellectual property through patents, trademarks, trade secrets, confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements and other measures to the extent our budget permits. There can be no assurance that patents will be issued from pending applications that we have filed or that our patents will be sufficient to protect our key technology from misappropriation or falling into the public domain, nor can assurances be made that any of our patents, patent applications, trademarks or our other intellectual property or proprietary rights will not be challenged, invalidated or circumvented. In addition, the level of protection of our proprietary technology varies by changescountry and may be particularly uncertain in automotive technologies, such as vehicles powered by fuel cellscountries that do not have well developed judicial systems or electricity. These factorslaws that adequately protect intellectual property rights. Patent litigation and other challenges to our patents and other proprietary rights are costly and unpredictable and may prevent us from marketing and selling a product in a particular geographic area. Financial considerations also preclude us from seeking patent protection in every country where infringement litigation could resultarise. Our inability to predict our intellectual property requirements in less demand forall geographies and affordability constraints also impact our products thereby causingintellectual property protection investment decisions. If we are unable to protect our proprietary rights, we may be at a decline indisadvantage to others who do not incur the substantial time and expense we incur to create our products. Preventing unauthorized use or infringement of our intellectual property rights is inherently difficult. Moreover, it may be difficult or practically impossible to detect theft or unauthorized use of our intellectual property. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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In addition, improvements in qualityClaims of intellectual property infringement by original equipment manufacturers and others could adversely affect our business. Generally, if original equipment parts last longer, there could be less demand forbusiness and negatively impact our products.

Claims of Intellectual Property Infringement by Original Equipment Manufacturers Could Adversely Affect Our Business and Negatively Impact Our Abilityability to Develop New Products.develop new products.

From time to time in the pastordinary course of our business we have beenare subject to claims that we are infringing the intellectual property rights of original equipment manufacturers or others.  We currently are the subject of such claims and it is possible that others will assert infringement claims against us in the future. An adverse finding against us in these or similar intellectual property disputes may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations if we are not able to successfully develop or license non-infringing alternatives. In addition, an unfavorable ruling in intellectual property litigation could subject us to significant liability, increased legal expense,

and require us to cease developing or selling the affected products or using the affected works of authorship or trademarks. Any significant restriction that impedes our ability to develop and commercialize our products could have a material adverse effect onupon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Quality Problemsproblems with Our Products Could Damage Our Reputationour products could damage our reputation and Adversely Affect Our Business.adversely affect our business.

We have experienced, and in the future may experience, reliability, quality, or compatibility problems in products after their production and sale to customers. Product quality problems and any associated product recalls could result in damage to our reputation, loss of customers, a decrease in revenue, litigation, unexpected expenses, and a loss of market share. We have invested and will continue to invest in our engineering, design, and quality infrastructure in an effort to help reduce these problems; however, there can be no assurance that we can successfully remedy all of these issues. To the extent we experience significant quality problems in the future, it could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations may be negatively impacted.operations.

Loss of Third-Party Transportation Providers Upon Whom We Dependthird-party transportation providers upon whom we depend or Increasesincreases in Fuel Prices Could Increase Our Costsfuel prices could increase our costs or Causecause a Disruptiondisruption in Our Operations.our operations.

We depend upon third-party transportation providers for delivery of our products to us and to our customers. Strikes, slowdowns, transportation disruptions or other conditions in the transportation industry, including, but not limited to, shortages of truckvehicles or drivers, disruptions in rail service, port congestion, or increases in fuel prices, could increase our costs and disrupt our operations and our ability to service our customers on a timely basis.basis, which in turn could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Unfavorable Resultsresults of Legal Proceedings Could Materially Adversely Affect Us.legal proceedings could materially adversely affect us.

We are subject to various legal proceedings and claims that have arisenarise out of the ordinary course of our business, which are not yet resolvedsuch as those involving contracts, competitive practices, intellectual property infringement and additional claims may arise in the future.  Although we currently believe that resolving all of these matters, individually or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse impact on our financial position, legalproduct liability claims. Legal proceedings and claims and proceedings are subject to inherent uncertainty and our view on these matters may change in the future.  Regardless of merit, litigationassociated internal investigations may be both time-consuming and disruptiveexpensive to our operations and cause significant expense and diversion of management attention.  Should we fail to prevail in certain matters, weprosecute, defend or conduct. This may be facedtrue whether they are with significant monetaryor without merit and whether they are covered by insurance or not. They also may divert management's attention and other resources; inhibit our ability to sell our products; result in adverse judgments for damages, or injunctive relief, that would materially adverselypenalties and fines; and negatively affect our reputation, business, and financial condition and operating results.results of operations. There can be no assurance regarding the outcome of current or future legal proceedings, claims or investigations.

Dorman’s Executive Chairman and His Family Members Ownhis family members own a Significant Portionsignificant portion of the Company.

As of January 1, 2018,February 21, 2020, Steven L. Berman, our Executive Chairman, and his family members beneficially own approximately 20%18% of the Company’s outstanding common stock. As such, Mr. Berman and his family members can influence matters requiring approval of shareholders, including the election of the Board of Directors and the approval of significant transactions. Such concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change in control of the Company, could deprive shareholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their common stock as part of a sale of the Company and might ultimately affect the market price of our common stock.

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Our Operations, Revenuesoperations, revenues and Operating Results,operating results, and the Operationsoperations of Our Third Party Manufacturers, Suppliersour third-party manufacturers, suppliers and Customers,customers, may be Subjectsubject to Quarter to Quarter Fluctuationsquarter over quarter fluctuations and Disruptionsdisruptions from Events Beyond Ourevents beyond our or Their Control.their control.

Our operations, revenues and operating results, as well as the operations of our third partythird-party manufacturers, suppliers and customers, may be subject to quarter toover quarter fluctuations and disruptions from a variety of causes outside of our or their control, including work stoppages, market volatility, fuel prices, acts of war, terrorism, cyber incidents, pandemics, fire, earthquake, flooding, changes in weather patterns, weather or seasonal fluctuations or other climate-based changes, including hurricanes or tornadoes, or other natural disasters. If a major disruption were to occur at our operations or the operations of our third partythird-party manufacturers, suppliers or customers, it could result in harm to people or the natural environment, delays in shipments of products to customers or suspension of

operations, any of which could have a material adverse effect onupon our business, revenuesfinancial condition and operating results.

results of operations.

We rely extensively on our computer systems to manage inventory, process transactions and timely provide products to our customers. Our systems are subject to damage or interruption from power outages, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, security breaches, cyber-attacks or other catastrophic events. If our systems are damaged or fail to function properly, we may experience loss of critical data and interruptions or delays in our ability to manage inventories or process customer transactions. Such a disruption of our systems could negatively impact revenue and potentiallycould have a negative impact onmaterial adverse effect upon our results of operations,business, financial condition and cash flows.

Regulations Related to Conflict Minerals Could Adversely Impact Our Business.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”) contains provisions to improve transparency and accountability concerning the supplyresults of certain minerals, known as “conflict minerals”, originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo (“DRC”) and adjoining countries. These rules could adversely affect the sourcing, supply, and pricing of materials used in our products, as the number of suppliers who provide conflict-free minerals may be limited. We may also suffer reputational harm if we determine that certain of our products contain minerals not determined to be conflict-free or if we are unable to modify our products to avoid the use of such materials.  We may also face challenges in satisfying customers who may require that our products be certified as containing conflict-free minerals.operations.

Cyber-attacks or Other Breachesother breaches of Information Technology Security Could Adversely Impact Our Businessinformation technology security could adversely impact our business and Operations.operations.

Cyber-attacks or other breaches of network or information technology security may cause equipment failure, or disruption to our operations.operations or the loss or theft of sensitive data relating to our Company and its employees, customers, suppliers, and business partners, including intellectual property, proprietary business information, and other sensitive material. Such attacks, which include the use of malware, encryption, computer viruses and other means for disruption or unauthorized access, on companies have increased in frequency, scope and potential harm in recent years. While, to the best of our knowledge, we have not been subject to cyber-attacks or to other cyber incidents which, individually or in the aggregate, have been material to our operations or financial conditions, theWe take preventive actions we take to reduce the risk of cyber incidents and protect our information technology and networks, including the data that is maintained within them. However, such preventative actions may be insufficient to repel a major cyber-attack or other network breach in the future. Furthermore, because the techniques used to carry out cyber-attacks change frequently and in many instances are not recognized until after they are used against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these changes or implement adequate preventative measures. Moreover, we utilize third-party vendors that provide information technology services for areas such as customer order processing and human resources functions (e.g., payroll). While we generally require these vendors to monitor and protect their information technology systems against cyber-attacks and other breaches, their efforts may not be effective. To the extent that any disruption or security breach of one of our vendors’ systems results in a loss or damage to our data, loss or theft of our intellectual property, or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, including information regarding our customers and the ultimate purchasers of our products, it could cause significant damage to our reputation, affect our relationship with our customers, suppliers and employees, and lead to claims against us and ultimately harm our business. Moreover, intruders that gain access to our intellectual property and trade secrets may attempt to use that information to harm our business, by developing competing or counterfeit products. Additionally, we may be required to incur significant costs to protect against damage caused by these disruptions or security breaches in the future. Any such cyber-attacks and loss or theft of our intellectual property or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

ImpositionChanges in U.S. trade policy, including the imposition of New Taxes or Customs Duties on Our Products Could Adversely Affect Our Business.tariffs and the resulting consequences, could adversely affect our results of operations.

In fiscal 2017,2019, approximately 71%79% of our products were purchased from suppliers in a variety of foreign countries. DueThe U.S. government has adopted a new approach to economictrade policy and political conditions, taxin some cases has attempted to renegotiate or terminate certain existing bilateral or multi-lateral trade agreements. It has also imposed tariffs on certain foreign goods, including steel and duty ratescertain commercial vehicle parts, which have resulted in increased costs for goods imported into the U.S. In response to these tariffs, a number of U.S. trading partners have imposed retaliatory tariffs on imported goods may be subjecta wide range of U.S. products. If we are unable to significant change. The impositionpass price increases on to our customer base or proposed imposition of newotherwise mitigate the costs, or increased taxes or duties onif demand for our products decreases due to the higher cost, our results of operations could increasebe materially adversely affected. In addition, further tariffs have been proposed by the costU.S. and its trading partners and additional trade restrictions could be implemented on a broader range of our products or reduce overall consumptionraw materials. The resulting environment of our products,retaliatory trade or both, particularly if tax or duty levels increased substantially relative to those for products manufactured in the United States. The imposition of new taxes on our products or any substantial increase in duty rates on our productsother practices could adversely affecthave a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition, results of operations, customers, suppliers and the global economy.

Changes in tax laws or exposure to additional income tax liabilities could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

12We are subject to income taxes, as well as non-income-based taxes, at the federal, state and local levels. We are subject to tax audits in various jurisdictions. Tax authorities may disagree with certain positions we have taken and assess additional taxes. We regularly assess the likely outcomes of these audits in order to determine the appropriateness of our tax provision. However, there can be no assurance that we will accurately predict the outcomes of these audits, and the actual outcomes of these audits could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, changes in tax laws or tax rulings could materially impact our effective tax rate.

Increasing our indebtedness could negatively affect our financial health.

We have an existing revolving credit facility of $100 million with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent and lender, which, subject to certain requirements, gives us the ability to request increases of up to an incremental $100 million. As of December 28, 2019, although we did not have any borrowings outstanding, there were $0.8 million of issued but undrawn letters of credit outstanding under the credit agreement.

Our growth strategy includes reviewing and evaluating potential acquisitions, and we may utilize borrowings under our credit agreement to consummate transactions. Any significant increase in our indebtedness, whether in connection with acquisitions or otherwise, could increase our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions and limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry in which we operate. Any such issue could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations

We are Exposed To Risks Relatedexposed to Accounts Receivable Sales Agreements.risks related to accounts receivable sales agreements.

We have entered into several customer sponsored programs administered by unrelated financial institutions that permit us to sell certain accounts receivable at discounted rates to the financial institutions. The termination ofinstitutions without recourse. If we do not enter into these agreements, could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and operating cash flow. Additionally, the interest rates of these agreements are tied to LIBOR. Increases in LIBOR could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and operatingcash flows could be materially and adversely affected by delays or failures in collecting trade accounts receivables. In addition, if any of the financial institutions with which we have these agreements experience financial difficulties or otherwise terminate these agreements, we may experience material and adverse economic losses due to the loss of such arrangements and the impact of such loss on our liquidity, which could have a material and adverse effect upon our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The utility of these arrangements also depends upon LIBOR, as it is a component of the discount rate applicable to each arrangement. If LIBOR increases such that the cost of these arrangements becomes more than the cost of servicing our receivables with existing debt, we may not be able to rely on such arrangements, which could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The Market Pricephaseout of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), or the replacement of LIBOR with a different reference rate, may have an adverse effect on our business.

In July 2017, the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the authority that regulates LIBOR) announced that it would phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. It is unclear whether new methods of calculating LIBOR will be established or if alternative rates or benchmarks will be adopted. Our Common Stock May Be Volatilecredit agreement and Could Expose Usall our accounts receivable sales agreements utilize LIBOR as a benchmark for calculating the applicable interest rate. Changes in the method of calculating LIBOR, the elimination of LIBOR or the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative rate or benchmark may require us to Securities Class Action Litigation.renegotiate or amend these facilities, loans and programs, which may adversely affect interest rates and result in higher borrowing costs. This could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity. We cannot predict the effect of the potential changes to or elimination of LIBOR or the establishment and use of alternative rates or benchmarks and the corresponding effects upon our cost of capital.

The market price of our common stock may be volatile and could expose us to securities class action litigation.

The stock market and the price of our common stock may be subject to wide fluctuations based upon general economic and market conditions. The market price for our common stock also may also be affected by our ability to meet analysts’ expectations. Failure to meet such expectations, even slightly, could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock. In addition, stock market volatility has had a significant effect on the market prices of securities issued by many companies for reasons unrelated to the operating performance of these companies. Downturns in the stock market may cause the price of our common stock to decline.

Following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against such companies. If similar litigation were instituted against us, it could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources, which could have ana material adverse effect onupon our business.business, financial condition and results of operations.

Losing the Servicesservices of Our Executive Officersour executive officers or Other Highly Qualifiedother highly qualified and Experienced Contributors Could Adversely Affect Our Business.experienced employees could adversely affect our business.

Our future success depends upon the continued contributions of our executive officers and senior management, many of whom have numerous years of experience and would be extremely difficult to replace. We must also attract and maintain experienced and highly skilled engineering, sales and marketing, finance, logistics, and operations personnel. Competition for qualified personnel is often intense, and we may not be successful in hiring and retaining these people. If we lose the services of these key contributorsemployees or cannot attract and retain other qualified personnel, it could have a material adverse effect upon our business, could be adversely affected.financial condition and results of operations.

Our growth may be impacted by acquisitions. We may not be able to identify suitable acquisition candidates, complete acquisitions or integrate acquisitions successfully.

We may not be able to identify suitable acquisition candidates, complete acquisitions, or integrate acquisitions successfully. Our future growth is likely to depend to some degree on our ability to acquire and successfully integrate new businesses. We may seek additional acquisition opportunities, both to further diversify our businesses and to penetrate or expand important product offerings, geographies or markets. There are no assurances, however, that we will be able to successfully identify suitable candidates, negotiate appropriate terms, obtain financing on acceptable terms, complete proposed acquisitions, successfully integrate acquired businesses, or expand into new geographies or markets. Once acquired, operations may not achieve anticipated levels of revenues or profitability. Acquisitions involve risks, including difficulties in the integration of the operations, technologies, services and products of the acquired companies and the diversion of management's attention from other business concerns. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in any particular transaction, there are no assurances that we will properly ascertain all such risks. Difficulties encountered with acquisitions maycould have a material adverse effect onupon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None

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Item 2. Properties.Properties.

Facilities

As of December 30, 2017 have 1728, 2019 we had 16 warehouse and office facilities located throughout the United States, Canada, China, Taiwan and India.

Two of these facilities are owned and the remainder are leased. Our principal facilities are as follows:

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

We are a partyThe information set forth under the heading “Other Contingencies” appearing in Note 11. “Commitments and Contingencies,” to or otherwise involvedthe Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary coursePart IV, Item 15 of business, such as various claims and legal actions involving contracts, competitive practices, intellectual property infringement, product liability claims and other matters arising out of the conduct of our business. In the opinion of management, none of the actions, individually or in the aggregate, would likely have a material financial impact on the Company and we believe the range of reasonably possible losses from current mattersthis report is immaterial.incorporated herein by reference.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not Applicable

Item 4.1. Information about Our Executive Officers of the Registrant.Officers.

Executive Officers of the Registrant.

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The following table sets forth certain information with respect to our executive officers:officers as of February 26, 2020:

Steven L. Berman became the Executive Chairman of the Company onin September 24, 2015. Additionally, Mr. Berman has served as a director of the Company and as Secretary and Treasurer of the Company since its inception in 1978. From January 30, 2011 to September 24, 2015, Mr. Berman served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and from October 24, 2007 to January 30, 2011, Mr. Berman served as President of the Company. Prior to October 24, 2007, Mr. Berman served as Executive Vice President of the Company.

Mathias J. BartonKevin M. Olsen joined the Company in November 1999July 2016 as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He became co-President of the CompanyExecutive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer in February 2011,June 2017, President and Chief Operating Officer in August 2013,2018 and President and Chief Executive Officer in September 2015.  Mr. Barton was appointed to our Board of Directors in January 2014.2019. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. BartonOlsen was Chief Financial Officer of Colfax Fluid Handling, a division of Colfax Corporation, a diversified global

manufacturing and engineering company that provides gas and fluid-handling and fabrication technology products and services to commercial and governmental customers around the world, from January 2013 through June 2016. Prior to joining Colfax, he served in progressively responsible management roles at the Forged Products Aero Turbine Division of Precision Castparts Corp, Crane Energy Flow Solutions, a division of Crane Co., Netshape Technologies, Inc., and Danaher Corporation. Prior thereto, Mr. Olsen performed public accounting work at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Joseph P. Braun joined the Company in April 2019 as Senior Vice President and General Counsel, and he was appointed Corporate Secretary in May 2019. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Braun served as Chief FinancialLegal Officer and Corporate Secretary of Central Sprinkler Corporation, a manufacturer and distributor of automatic fire sprinklers, valves and component parts.  From May 1989 to September 1998, Mr. Barton was employed by Rapidforms,Avantor, Inc., a manufacturerleading, global provider of business formsmission-critical products and other products, mostservices to customers in the life sciences and advanced technologies and applied materials industries. He has held a number of positions of increasing responsibility in his career, including, more recently, as Executive Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions at Tyco International plc (now known as Johnson Controls International plc), which was a leading global provider of security, fire detection and Chief Financial Officer.suppression, and life safety products and services. Mr. Braun began his legal career in private practice at various law firms, where he advised public and private companies on mergers and acquisitions and securities and corporate governance matters.

Jeffrey L. Darby joined the Company in November 1998 as a National Account Manager. He became Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing in February 2011. He previously held the positions of Group Vice President from 2008 to 2010 and Vice President of Sales – Traditional and Key Accounts from 2006 to 2008. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Darby worked for Federal Mogul Corporation/Moog Automotive, an automotive parts supplier, beginning in 1990.1990

David M. Hession joined the Company in February 2019 and was appointed to serve as the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer effective March 2019. Mr. Hession was also appointed Treasurer in May 2019. Mr. Hession was Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Johnsonville, LLC, a privately held manufacturer of sausage and other protein products, from May 2013 to January 2019. Prior to that time, Mr. Hession worked at McCormick & Company, Inc., a global leader in the manufacture, marketing and distribution of spices, seasonings and flavors to the entire food industry, where he served in various positions of increasing responsibility including, most recently, as Vice President Finance & Administration. Mr. Hession also previously held positions with Tradeout, Inc., a business-to-business Internet exchange for surplus inventory and fixed assets, and Xylum Corporation, a development stage medical device manufacturer, and he performed management consulting work for Ernst & Young, LLP and Peterson Consulting LP.

Michael B. Kealey joined the Company in November 2002, as a Product Manager. He became Executive Vice President, Commercial in June 2017. He previously held the positions of Senior Vice President, Product from February 2011 through May 2017, Vice President – Product from January 2007 through January 2011, and Director – Product Management from April 2003 through December 2006. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Kealey was employed by Eastern Warehouse Distributors, Inc., a distributor of automotive replacement parts, most recently as Vice President – Purchasing.

Kevin M. Olsen joined the Company in July 2016 as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He became Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer in June 2017. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Olsen was Chief Financial Officer of Colfax Fluid Handling, a division of Colfax Corporation, a diversified global manufacturing and engineering company that provides gas and fluid-handling and fabrication technology products and services to commercial and governmental customers around the world, from January 2013 through June 2016. Prior to joining Colfax, he served in progressively responsible management roles at the Forged Products Aero Turbine Division of Precision Castparts Corp, Crane Energy Flow Solutions, a division of Crane Co., Netshape Technologies, Inc., and Danaher Corporation. Prior thereto, Mr. Olsen performed public accounting work at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP.

15PART II

PART II

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

Our shares of common stock are traded publicly on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “DORM”. At February 19, 201821, 2020 there were 203164 holders of record of our common stock. The range of high and low sales prices for our common stock for each quarterly period of fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016 were as follows:

We do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Any payment of future dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon, among other things, our earnings, financial condition, capital requirements, level of indebtedness, and other factors that our board of directors deems relevant.

For the information regarding our equity compensation plans, see Part III Item 12, “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters.”

Stock Performance Graph. Below is a line graph comparing the cumulative total shareholder return for our common stock with the cumulative total shareholder return for the Automotive Parts & Accessories Peer Group of the Morningstar Group Index (formerly Hemscott Group Index) and the NASDAQ Composite Market Index for the period from December 31, 201227, 2014 to December 31, 2017.28, 2019. The Automotive Parts & Accessories Peer Group is comprised of 140164 public companies and the information was furnished by Morningstar, Inc. through Zacks Investment Research, Inc. The graph assumes $100 invested on December 31, 201227, 2014 in our common stock and each of the indices, and that the dividends were reinvested when and as paid. In calculating the cumulative total shareholder returns, the companies included are weighted according to the stock market capitalization of such companies.

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The stock price performance shown in the graph is not necessarily indicative of future price performance.

The performance graph and the information set forth therein shall not be deemed to be filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any filing made by us with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

Stock Repurchases

During the last thirteen weeks of the fiscal year ended December 30, 2017,28, 2019, we purchased shares of our common stock as follows:

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

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

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements

Certain and related notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The matters discussed in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” contain certain forward-looking statements in this document constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. WhileForward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties. See the “Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements” above and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding forward-looking statements sometimes are presented with numerical specificity, they are based on various assumptions made by management regarding future circumstances over many of whichand the Company has little or no control. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words including “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those relating to future business prospects, revenues, working capital, liquidity, and income, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that would cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements include but are not limited to competition in the automotive aftermarket industry, unfavorable economic conditions, concentration of the Company’s sales and accounts receivable among a small number of customers, the impact of consolidation in the automotive aftermarket industry, foreign currency fluctuations, loss of key suppliers, space limitations on our customers’ shelves, delay in the development and design of new products, improvements in new vehicle quality, claims of intellectual property infringement, quality problems, loss of third-party transportation providers, unfavorable results of legal proceedings, concentration of ownership, disruption from events beyond the Company’s control, risks associated with conflict minerals, risks associated with cyber-attacks, the imposition of new taxes or duties, the termination or modification of accounts receivable sales agreements, common stock market price volatility, loss of highly qualified Contributors, inability to acquire other businesses, and other risks and factors identified from time to time in the reports the Company files with the SEC. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated or projected. For additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the information containedthose anticipated in this report, reference is made to the information in “Part I, Item 1A Risk Factors.”  You should not place an undue reliance on forward-looking statements.  Such statements speak only to the date on which they are made and we undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, regardless of future developments or the availability of new information.

Overview

We believe we are aone of the leading suppliersuppliers of replacement parts and fasteners for passenger cars, light trucks, and heavy duty trucks in the automotive aftermarket.  We distribute and marketaftermarket industry. As of December 28, 2019, we marketed approximately 216,000 different SKU’s78,000 unique parts as compared to approximately 77,000 as of automotive replacement parts,December 29, 2018, many of which we designdesigned and engineer. These SKU’sengineered. Unique parts exclude private label stock keeping units (“SKU’s”) and other variations in how we market, package and distribute our products, but include unique parts of acquired companies. Our products are sold under our various brand names, under our customers’ private label brands or in bulk. We believe we are aone of the leading aftermarket suppliersuppliers of original equipmentOE “dealer exclusive” items. Original equipmentparts. OE “dealer exclusive” parts are those parts which were traditionally available to consumers only from original equipment manufacturers or salvage yards. These parts include, among other parts, intake manifolds, exhaust manifolds, window regulators, radiator fan assemblies, tire pressure monitor sensors, complex electronics modules, and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) coolers.

We generate virtually all of our revenuesnet sales from customers in the North American automotive aftermarket industry, primarily in the United States. Our products are sold primarily through automotive aftermarket retailers;retailers, including through their on-line platforms; national, regional and local warehouse distributors and specialty markets;markets, and salvage yards. We also distribute automotive replacementaftermarket parts outside the United States, with sales primarily into Canada and Mexico, and to a lesser extent, Europe, the Middle East and Australia.

We may experience significant fluctuations from quarter to quarter in our results of operations due to the timing of orders placed by our customers. Generally, the second and third quarters have the highest level of net sales. The introduction of new products and product lines to customers, as well as business acquisitions, may also cause significant fluctuations from quarter to quarter.

We were engaged in several site consolidation activities during the year ended December 28, 2019. Most significantly, we completed the consolidation of our Montreal facility (acquired in fiscal 2017 as part of the acquisition of MAS Automotive Distributors, Inc. (“MAS Industries” or “MAS”)) into our new 800,000 square foot distribution center in Portland, Tennessee. Additionally, we transferred our existing distribution operations in Portland, Tennessee to the new facility and also completed the consolidation of an existing production facility in Michigan with our facility in Pennsylvania operated by our subsidiary, Flight Systems Automotive Group L.L.C. (“Flight Systems” or “Flight”). During the year ended December 28, 2019, we incurred $3.0 million of costs primarily related to acquisition integration and accelerated depreciation, $2.8 million of which was included in selling, general and administrative expenses and $0.2 million of which was included in gross profit. Additionally, during the year ended December 28, 2019, we incurred $25.9 million of costs related to start up inefficiencies and duplication of facility overhead and operating costs primarily related to our Portland facility consolidation activities, of which $20.4 million was included in selling, general and administrative expenses and $5.5 million was included in gross profit. As a part of our Portland consolidation activities, our new Portland distribution center became fully operational in October 2019. We expect our distribution costs to be back to more typical levels as we move through 2020.

We operate on a fifty-two, fifty-three week period ended on the last Saturday of the calendar year. The fiscal years ended December 28, 2019 (“fiscal 2019”), December 29, 2018 (“fiscal 2018”) and December 30, 2017 and December 26, 2015(“fiscal 2017”) were fifty-two week periods. The fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 was a fifty-three week period.

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Business Performance Summary

We achieved record net sales and net income in fiscal 2017.  Net sales increased 5% over2% to $991.3 million in fiscal 2016 levels to $903.22019 from $973.7 million in fiscal 2018, while net income increased 1%decreased 37% to $106.6 million.$83.8 million in fiscal 2019 from $133.6 million in fiscal 2018. Additionally, we generated $94.2 million of cash flows from operations of $95.3 million in fiscal 2019 and repurchased approximately $76.1$143.9 million of our outstanding common stock. We believe our strong financial results have been driven by continued investments in new product development, a thoughtful approach to acquisitions, industry dynamics, and other economic factors.

New Product Development

New product development is a criticalan important success factor for us and istraditionally has been our primary vehicle for growth. We have made incremental investments to increase our new product development efforts each year since 2003 in an effort to grow our business and strengthen our relationships with our customers. The investments are primarily have been in the form of increased product development resources, increased customer and end-user awareness programs, and customer service improvements. These investments historically have enabled us to provide an expanding array of new product offerings and grow revenues at levels that exceedgenerally have exceeded market growth rates. As a result of these investments, we introduced 4,0795,239 new products to our customers and end users in fiscal 2017,2019, including 1,192 “New to the Aftermarket”1,625 “New-to-the-Aftermarket” SKU’s.

OurOne area of focus has been our complex electronics program, which capitalizes on the growing number of electronic components being utilized on today’s Original Equipmentoriginal equipment platforms. Current production modelsNew vehicles contain an average of approximately thirty fivethirty-five electronic modules, with some high-end luxury vehicles containing over one hundred modules. Our complex electronics products are designed and developed in housein-house and extensively tested to help ensure consistent performance, and our product portfolio is focused on further developing Dorman’sour leadership position in the category.

In 2012, we introducedAnother area of focus has been on Dorman HD Solutions™, a new line of products to be marketedwe market for the medium and heavy duty truck aftermarket.sector of the automotive aftermarket industry. We believe that this marketsector provides many of the same opportunities for growth that the passenger car and light truck sector of the automotive aftermarket industry has provided us over the past several years.  Our focus here is onus. Through Dorman HD Solutions™, we specialize in what formerly were “dealer only” parts similar to how we have approached the automotive side of the business. We launched the initial program with a limited offering, but have made additional investments in new product development efforts to expand our product offering.  We currently have approximately 1,060passenger car and light duty truck sector. During fiscal 2019, we introduced 1,027 SKU’s in our medium and heavy dutythis product line. We willexpect to continue to invest aggressively in the medium and heavy duty product category.

Acquisitions

OurIn addition to product development, our growth is alsohas been impacted by acquisitions. For example,In August 2018, we acquired Flight Systems. Additionally, in October 2017, we acquired MAS Automotive Distributors, Inc. (“MAS Industries” or “MAS”).MAS. We believe Flight and MAS isare highly complementary to our business and growth strategy. We may acquire businesses in the future to supplement our financial growth, distribution capabilities, or product development resources.resources or to diversify our revenue base.

Economic Factors

VehicleThe Company’s financial results are impacted by various economic and industry factors, including, but not limited to the number, age and condition of vehicles in operation (“VIO”) at any one time, and miles driven by those VIO.

To begin, the Company’s products are primarily purchased and installed on a subsegment of the VIO, specifically weighted towards vehicles aged eight to thirteen years old.  Each year, the United States seasonally adjusted annual rate (“US SAAR”) of new vehicles purchased adds a new year to the US VIO.  According to data from the Auto Care Association (“Auto Care”), the US SAAR experienced a decline from 2008 to 2011 as consumers purchased fewer new vehicles as a result of the Great Recession.  We believe that the declining US SAAR during that period resulted in a follow-on decline in our primary US VIO subsegment (eight to thirteen-year-old vehicles) commencing in 2016. However, following 2011 and the impact the Great Recession US consumers began to increase their purchases of new vehicles which over time caused the US SAAR to recover and return to

more historical levels.  Consequently, we expect the US VIO for vehicles aged eight to thirteen years old to recover over the next several years.

In addition, we believe that vehicle owners operategenerally are operating their current vehicles longer than they did several years ago. As a result, owners performago, performing necessary repairs and maintenance in order to keep those vehicles well maintained. According to data published by Polk, a division of IHS Automotive, the average age of vehicles was 11.7VIO increased to 11.9 years as of January 2017, which is an increaseOctober 2019 from 11.611.8 years as of November 2016October 2018 despite increasing new car sales. Additionally, the number of vehicles in operationVIO in the United States continues to increase, growing 2.4%2% in 20172019 to 278.6290.0 million from 272.0285.7 million in 2016.2018. Approximately 48%57% of vehicles in operation are 11 years old or older. Vehicle scrappage rates have also decreased over the last several years.  The

Finally, the number of miles driven is another important statistic that impacts our business. According to the United States Department of Transportation, the number of miles driven has increased each year since 2011 with miles driven having increased 1.3%0.9% as of December 2017November 2019 as compared to December 2016.November 2018. Generally, as vehicles are driven more miles, the more likely it is that parts will fail.

The combination of the factors above has accounted for a portion of our sales growth.growth and is expected to impact our future results.

Competition among our customer base continues to increase.We operate in a highly competitive market. As a result, we are continuously evaluating our approach to brand, pricing and terms to our different customers and channels. For example, in the third quarter of 2019, we modified our brand protection policy, which is designed to ensure that certain products bearing the Dorman name are not advertised below certain approved pricing levels. Our customers, particularly our larger retail customers, regularly seek more favorable pricing and product return provisions, and extended payment terms when negotiating with us. We attempt

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to avoid or minimize these concessions as much as possible, but we have granted pricing concessions, indemnification rights, extended customer payment terms and allowed a higher level of product returns in certain cases. These concessions impact net sales as well as our profit levels and may require additional capital to finance the business. We expect our customers to continue to exert pressure on our margins.

Foreign Currency

Our recent acquisition of MAS increases our exposures to foreign currencies.  MAS is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, and its financial transactions occur in both U.S. Dollars and Canadian Dollars.  Since our consolidated financial statements are denominated in U.S. Dollars, the assets, liabilities, net sales, and expenses of MAS which are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar must be converted into U.S. Dollars using exchange rates for the current period.  As a result, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may impact our financial results.

In fiscal 2017,2019, approximately 71%79% of our products were purchased from suppliers in a variety of foreignnon-U.S. countries. The products generally are purchased through purchase orders with the purchase price specified in U.S. Dollars.dollars. Accordingly, we generally do not have exposure to fluctuations in the relationship between the U.S. Dollardollar and various foreign currencies between the time of execution of the purchase order and payment for the product. To the extent that the U.S. Dollardollar changes in value relative to foreign currencies in the future, the price of the product for new purchase orders may change in equivalent U.S. Dollars.dollars.

The largest portion of our overseas purchases comes from China. The Chinese Yuan to U.S. Dollar exchange rate has fluctuated over the past several years. Any future changes in the value of the Chinese Yuan relative to the U.S. Dollar may result in a change in the cost of products that we purchase from China. However, the cost of the products we procure is also affected by other factors including raw material availability, labor cost, and transportation costs,costs.

Our acquisition of MAS increased our exposure to foreign currencies. MAS was headquartered in Montreal, Canada, and its financial transactions occur in both U.S. Dollars and Canadian Dollars. Since our consolidated financial statements are denominated in U.S. Dollars, the assets, liabilities, net sales, and expenses of MAS which are denominated in currencies other factors.than the U.S. Dollar must be converted into U.S. Dollars using exchange rates for the current period. As a result, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may impact our financial results. In early 2019, we completed the consolidation of our Montreal facility into our new Portland, Tennessee facility, which reduced our Canadian Dollar exposure.

Impact of Inflation

The overall impact of inflation has not resulted in a significant change in labor costs or the cost of general services utilized.

The cost ofof many commodities that are used in our products has fluctuated over time resulting in increases and decreases in the cost of our products. In addition, we have periodically experienced increased transportation costs as a result of higher fuel prices, capacity constraints and other factors. We will attempt to offset cost increases by passing along selling price increases to customers, using alternative suppliers and by sourcing purchases from other countries.suppliers. However, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in these efforts.

Impact of Tariffs

Effective September 24, 2018, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) imposed an additional tariff on approximately $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. The tariff was approximately 10% as of December 29, 2018. Effective for shipments departing China on or after May 10, 2019, the USTR increased this tariff to 25%. In addition, effective September 1, 2019, the USTR imposed a fourth tranche of tariffs on approximately $300 billion worth of Chinese imports with a tariff rate of 15%. The tariffs enacted to date will increase the cost of many products that are manufactured for us in China. We are taking several actions to mitigate the impact of the tariffs including, but not limited to, price increases to our customers and cost concessions from our suppliers. We expect to continue mitigating the impact of tariffs in fiscal 2020 primarily through selling price increases to offset the higher tariffs incurred. Tariffs are not expected to have a material impact on our net income but are expected to increase net sales and lower our gross and operating profit margins to the extent that these additional costs are passed through to customers.

In January 2020, the U.S. and Chinese governments signed a trade deal that reduced some U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods in exchange for Chinese pledges to, among other things, purchase more of American farm, energy and manufactured goods. In addition, the USTR has granted tariff relief for certain categories of products being imported from China. We expect that we will reverse tariff-related price increases previously passed along to our customers and cost concessions previously received from our suppliers as such tariffs are reduced or such other relief is granted.

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the dollar value and percentage of net sales represented by certain items in our Consolidated Statements of Operations:

* Percentage of sales information does not add due to rounding

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Fiscal Year Ended December 30, 201728, 2019 Compared to Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 201629, 2018

Net sales increased 5%2% to $903.2$991.3 million in fiscal 20172019 from $859.6$973.7 in fiscal 2016. Our revenue2018. Acquisitions contributed to 1% of the sales growth. The remaining growth experienced by our base business was driven by overall strong demand for our products which wasattributable to approximately a 3.5% increase as a result of tariff-related pricing increases, partially offset by an additional week of salesa shift in fiscal 2016. Additionally, the MAS acquisition accounted for approximately $7.0 million of sales in fiscal 2017.customer mix from warehouse distributor customers to retail customers.

Gross profit margin was 39.7%34.3% of net sales in fiscal 20172019 compared to 39.3%38.3% of net sales in fiscal 2016.2018. The increased gross profit margin wasdeclined primarily dueas a result of a change in customer mix from warehouse distributor to a favorable sales mix towards higher margin products, leverageretail customers, the pass-through of tariff costs across higher sales volume, and material price decreasesto our customers, acquisitions completed in the last 12 months which were partially offset bycarry lower overall selling prices during fiscal 2017gross margins compared to fiscal 2016. Additionally, 2017 gross profit margin was negatively impacted by inventory fair value adjustmentsour historical levels, and redundant overhead costs as a result the duplication of facility and operating costs related to MAS of $0.6 million.our distribution center consolidation in Portland, Tennessee.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $182.4$234.0 million, or 20.2%23.6% of net sales, in fiscal 20172019 compared to $169.5$202.1 million, or 19.7%20.8% of net sales, in fiscal 2016.2018. The increase in selling, general and administrative expense during the year was primarily due to higher variable costs$20.4 million of expenses associated with our 5% sales growth, $5.9 millionstart-up inefficiencies and the duplication of general wagefacility and fringe inflation, $2.5 million of increased expensesoperating costs related to theour distribution center consolidation in Portland, Tennessee and higher factoring costs due to increased sales of accounts receivable sales program, and $1.0 million of acquisition related costs. Provisions for doubtful accounts were $0.9 million less in fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016, partially offsetting the increases noted above.receivable.

Our effective tax rate increaseddecreased to 39.6%20.8% in fiscal 20172019 from 37.0%21.9% in fiscal 2016.2018. The increase waseffective tax rate decreased primarily attributable to increased provisions for state income taxes in fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016 and approximately $4.4 million of expense resulting from the revaluation of net deferred tax assets due to lower income of foreign entities included within the adoption of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.consolidated U.S. tax group.

Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 201629, 2018 Compared to Fiscal Year Ended December 26, 201530, 2017

Net sales increased 7%8% to $859.6$973.7 million in fiscal 20162018 from $803.0$903.2 in fiscal 2015.2017. Our revenue growth was driven by overall strong demand for our products and an additional weekthe inclusion of revenue from acquired businesses. In fiscal 2018, approximately $48.3 million of net sales were attributed to acquisitions. Our growth was partially offset by negative effects of a brand protection policy implemented in fiscal 2016.the fourth quarter of 2017.

Gross profit margin was 39.3%38.3% in fiscal 20162018 compared to 38.4%39.7% in fiscal 2015.2017. The increaseddecreased gross profit margin was primarily duethe result of the impact of acquisitions which carry lower gross margins compared to our historical levels. Additionally, the 2018 gross profit margin was negatively impacted by a favorable sales mix towards higher margin products, leverage of costs across higher sales volume, and approximately $2.1$2.0 million of lower inventory provisions which were partially offset byfair value adjustment resulting from business acquisitions, lower overall selling prices during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015.and an unfavorable shift in mix towards lower margin products.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $169.5$202.1 million, or 19.7%20.8% of net sales, in fiscal 20162018 compared to $161.9$182.4 million, or 20.2% of net sales, in fiscal 2015.2017. The increase in expense was primarily due to higher variablethe inclusion of the expenses of acquired operations, amortization expense of acquired intangible assets, reinvestment of tax savings in product development and sales organizations, an increase in wage and benefit costs and increased costs associated with our 7% sales growth, $2.8 million of general wage and fringe inflation, and $1.7 million of increased expenses related to the accounts receivable sales program. Provisions for doubtful accounts were $2.1 million less in fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015, partially offsetting the increases noted above.

Our effective tax rate increaseddecreased to 37.0%21.9% in fiscal 20162018 from 36.7%39.6% in fiscal 2015.2017. The increasedecrease was primarily attributable to increased provisions for statethe Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted in the United States in December 2017, which lowered the U.S. Corporate federal income taxestax rate to 21% beginning in fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015.2018.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Historically, our primary sources of liquidity have been our invested cash and the cash flow we generate from our operations, including accounts receivable sales programs provided by certain customers. Cash and cash equivalents at December 30, 2017 decreased28, 2019 increased to $71.7$68.4 million from $149.1$43.5 million at December 31, 2016.29, 2018. Working capital was $422.1$534.1 million at December 30, 201728, 2019 compared to $447.8$488.1 million at December 31, 2016.29, 2018. Shareholders’ equity was $634.8$773.6 million at December 30, 201728, 2019 and $601.6$727.6 million at December 31, 2016.  29, 2018. Based on our current operating plan, we believe that our sources of available capital are adequate to meet our ongoing cash needs for at least the next twelve months. However, our liquidity could be negatively affected by extending payment terms to customers, a decrease in demand for our products, the outcome of contingencies or other factors. See Note 11, “Commitments and Contingencies”, in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding commitments and contingencies that may affect our liquidity.

Over the past several years we have continued to extend payment terms to certain customers as a result of customer requests and market demands. These extended terms have resulted in increased accounts receivable levels and have significantly impactedsignificant uses of cash flows. Tariffs also increase our uses of cash since we pay for the tariffs upon the arrival of our goods in the United States but collect the cash on any passthrough price increases from our customers on a delayed basis according to the payment terms negotiated with our customers. We participate in accounts receivable sales programs with several

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customers which allow us to sell our accounts receivable to financial institutions to offset the negative cash flow impact of these payment terms extensions. However, any sales of accounts receivable through these programs ultimately result in us receiving a lesser amount of cash upfront than if we collected those accounts receivable ourselves in due course. Moreover, prior to LIBOR being phased out in 2021, to the extent that any of these accounts receivable sales programs bear interest rates tied to LIBOR, as LIBOR rates increase our cost to sell our receivables also increase. See Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk for more information. During fiscal 20172019 and fiscal 2016,2018, we sold approximately $582.9$676.4 million and $521.9$604.7 million, respectively, under these programs. We had the ability to sell significantly more accounts receivable under these

programs if the needs of the business warranted.  We expect continued pressure to extend our payment terms for the foreseeable future. Further extensions of customer payment terms will result in additional uses of cash flow or increased costs associated with the salesales of accounts receivable.

In December 2017, we entered into a credit agreement whichthat will expire in December 2022. ThisThe credit agreement provides for an initial revolving credit facility of $ 100.0$100.0 million and, subject to certain requirements, gives us the ability to request increases of up to an incremental $ 100.0$100.0 million. ThisThe credit agreement replacesreplaced our previous $ 30.0$30.0 million credit agreement.facility. Borrowings under the facilitycredit agreement are on an unsecured basis withbasis. At the Company’s election, the interest rates rangingrate applicable to revolving credit loans under the credit agreement will be either (1) the Prime Rate as announced by Wells Fargo from time to time, (2) an Adjusted LIBOR Market Index Rate as measured by the LIBOR Market Index Rate plus the Applicable Margin which fluctuates between 65 basis points to LIBOR plusand 125 basis points based uponon the ratio of consolidated funded debtthe Company’s Consolidated Funded Debt to consolidatedConsolidated EBITDA, or (3) an Adjusted LIBOR Rate as definedmeasured by the credit agreement. LIBOR Rate plus the Applicable Margin which fluctuates between 65 basis points and 125 basis points based on the ratio of the Company’s Consolidated Funded Debt to Consolidated EBITDA. The interest rate at December 30, 201728, 2019 was LIBOR plus 65 basis points (2.22%(2.45%).During the occurrence and continuance of an event of default, all outstanding revolving credit loans will bear interest at a rate per annum equal to 2.00% in excess of the greater of (1) the Prime Rate or (2) the Adjusted LIBOR Market Index Rate then applicable. As of December 28, 2019, we were not in default in respect to the credit agreement. The credit agreement also contains other covenants, including those related to the ratio of certain consolidated fixed changescharges to consolidated EBITDA, capital expenditures, and share repurchases, each as defined by the credit agreement. The newcredit agreement also requires us to pay an unused fee of 0.10% on the average daily unused portion of the facility, provided the unused fee will not be charged on the first $30 million of the revolving credit facility. As of December 30, 2017, we were in compliance with all financial covenants contained in the credit agreement. As of December 30, 2017,28, 2019, there were no borrowings under the facilitycredit agreement and we had two outstanding letters of credit for approximately $ 0.8$0.8 million in the aggregate which were issued to secure ordinary course of business transactions. Net of these letters of credit, we had approximately $ 99.2$99.2 million available under the facilitycredit agreement at December 30, 201728, 2019.

Cash Flows

Below is a table setting forth the key lines of our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows:

During fiscal 2019, cash provided by operating activities was $95.3 million, primarily as a result of $83.8 million in net income, non-cash adjustments to net income of $30.1 million and a net increase in operating assets and liabilities of $18.5 million. Accounts receivable decreased $8.8 million due to the timing and factoring of receivables during the year. Inventory increased $11.0 million due to higher inventory purchases to support new product launches and maintain customer fill rates as we consolidated facilities. Accounts payable decreased by $19.1 million due to the timing of payments to our vendors. Other assets and liabilities, net, increased $6.3 million.

During fiscal 2018, cash provided by operating activities was $78.1 million, primarily as a result of $133.6 million in net income, non-cash adjustments to net income of $31.2 million and a net increase in operating assets and liabilities of $86.7 million. Accounts receivable increased $61.4 million due to increased net sales, which were partially offset by increased accounts receivable sales. Inventory increased $46.8 million due to higher inventory purchases to avoid potentially higher tariffs, to support new product launches and maintain customer fill rates as we consolidated facilities. Accounts payable increased by $27.0 million due to increased inventory and the timing of payments to our vendors. Other assets and liabilities, net, increased $0.2 million.

During fiscal 2017, cash provided by operating activities was $94.2 million, primarily as a result of $106.6 million in net income, non-cash adjustments to net income of $30.4 million and a net increase in operating assets

and liabilities of $42.7 million. Accounts receivable increased $5.7 million due to increased net sales and the timing of cash receipts at year end. Inventory increased $25.1 million due to higher inventory purchases to support new product launches and to improve customer fill rates. Accounts payable increased by $3.7 million due to increased inventory and the timing of payments to our vendors. Other assets and liabilities, net, increased $15.6 million primarily due to an increase in long-term core inventory and a decrease in customer rebates whichthat we expectexpected to settle in cash.

During fiscal 2016, cash provided by operatingInvesting activities was $121.5used $29.6 million primarily as a result of $106.0 million in net income, non-cash adjustments to net income of $17.6 million and a net increase in operating assets and liabilities of $2.1 million.  Accounts receivable increased $27.8 million due to increased net sales and the timing of cash receipts at year end. Inventory decreased $24.9in fiscal 2019, $59.1 million due to lower inventory purchases and the effects of several inventory management initiatives. Accounts payable increased by $8.7 million due to the timing of payments to our vendors. Other assets and liabilities, net, increased $7.8 million primarily due to an increase in long-term core inventory and a decrease in customer rebates which we expect to settle in cash.

During fiscal 2015, cash provided by operating activities was $92.1 million primarily as a result of $92.3 million in net income, non-cash adjustments to net income of $15.2 million and a net increase in operating assets and liabilities of $15.4 million.  Accounts receivable increased $1.1 million due to the timing of cash receipts at year end. Inventory increased $20.2 million to support new product initiativesin fiscal 2018, and sales growth. Accounts payable increased by $5.4 million due to inventory purchases and the timing of payments to our vendors.

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Investing activities used $94.4 million of cash in fiscal 2017, $26.3 million of cash in fiscal 2016, and $23.8 million of cash in fiscal 2015.  2017.

Cash used in financing activities was $40.9 million in fiscal 2019, $46.9 million in fiscal 2018, and $77.3 million in fiscal 2017, $24.8 million in fiscal 2016, and $37.2 million in fiscal 2015.2017.

Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments

We have obligations for future minimum rental payments and similar commitments under non-cancellable operating leases as well as contingent obligations related to outstanding letters of credit. These obligations as of December 30, 201728, 2019 are summarized in the tables below (in thousands):

We have excluded from the table above contingent consideration related to the acquisition of MAS due to the uncertainty of the amount of payment. As of December 30, 2017,28, 2019, the Company has accrued approximately $8.0$5.6 million which represents the fair value of the estimated payments which will become due if certain sales thresholds are achieved through December 2020 and will be paid out in 2021(see Note 3, Business Acquisitions and Investments,2021.

We have excluded the $2.8 million estimated accrual related to the Consolidated Financial Statementsunderpayment of duties to the United States Customs & Border Protection since the ultimate resolution of this matter is uncertain and is not expected to be resolved within the next twelve months (see Note 11, Commitments and Contingencies included in this Annual Report onannual report Form 10-K).