This annual report on Form 10-K (this “report”) is a combined annual report being filed separately by two registrants: Summit Materials, Inc. and Summit Materials, LLC. Each registrant hereto is filing on its own behalf all of the information contained in this report that relates to such registrant. Each registrant hereto is not filing any information that does not relate to such registrant, and therefore makes no representation as to any such information. We believe that combining the annual reports on Form 10-K of Summit Materials, Inc. and Summit Materials, LLC into this single report eliminates duplicative and potentially confusing disclosure and provides a more streamlined presentation since a substantial amount of the disclosure applies to both registrants.

Unless stated otherwise or the context requires otherwise, references to “Summit Inc.” mean Summit Materials, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and references to “Summit LLC” mean Summit Materials, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. The references to Summit Inc. and Summit LLC are used in cases where it is important to distinguish between them. We use the terms “we,” “our,” “Summit Materials” or “the Company” to refer to Summit Inc. and Summit LLC together with their respective subsidiaries, unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise requires.

This report includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts, and you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “intends,” “trends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “projects” or “anticipates” or similar expressions that concern our strategy, plans, expectations or intentions. All statements made relating to our estimated and projected earnings, margins, costs, expenditures, cash flows, growth rates and financial results are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We derive many of our forward-looking statements from our operating budgets and forecasts, which are based upon many detailed assumptions. While we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, it is very difficult to predict the effect of known factors, and, of course, it is impossible to anticipate all factors that could affect our actual results. 

Some of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations are disclosed under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us, or persons acting on our behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements.

We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.

We are one of the fastest growing construction materials companies in the United States, with a 74%55% increase in revenue between the year ended December 27, 2014January 2, 2016 (the year of our initial public offering) and the year ended December 29, 2018.28, 2019. Within our markets, we offer customers a single‑source provider for construction materials and related downstream products through our vertical integration. Our materials include aggregates, which we supply across the United States, and in British Columbia, Canada, and cement, which we supply to surrounding states along the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Louisiana. In addition to supplying aggregates to customers, we use a portion of our materials internally to produce ready‑mix concrete and asphalt paving mix, which may be sold externally or used in our paving and related services businesses. Our vertical integration creates opportunities to increase aggregates volumes, optimize margin at each stage of production and provide customers with efficiency gains, convenience and reliability, which we believe gives us a competitive advantage.

Since our inception in 2009, we have become a major participant in the U.S. construction materials industry. We believe that, by volume, we are a top 10 aggregates supplier, a top 15 cement producer and a major producer of ready‑mix concrete and asphalt paving mix. Our proven and probable aggregates reserves were 3.9 billion tons as of December 29, 2018.28, 2019. In the year ended December 29, 201828, 2019 we sold 47.654.0 million tons of aggregates, 2.32.4 million tons of cement, 5.45.5 million cubic yards of ready-mix concrete and 5.45.6 million tons of asphalt paving mix across our more than 400 sites and plants.

The rapid growth we have achieved over the last nine10 years has been due in large part to our acquisitions, which we funded through equity issuances, debt financings and cash from operations. Over the past decade, the U.S. economy witnessed a cyclical decline followed by a gradual recovery in the private construction market and modest growth in public infrastructure spending. The U.S. private construction market has grown in recent years both nationally and in our markets. We believe we are well positioned to capitalize on this growth to continue to expand our business.

Our revenue in 20182019 was $2.1$2.2 billion with net income of $36.3$61.1 million. As of December 29, 2018,28, 2019, our total indebtedness outstanding was approximately $1.8$1.9 billion.

We anticipate continued growth in our primary end markets, public infrastructure and the private construction market. Public infrastructure, which includes spending by federal, state and local governments for roads, highways, bridges, airports and other public infrastructure projects, has been a relatively stable portion of government budgets providing consistent demand to our industry and is projected by the Portland Cement Association (“PCA”) to grow approximately 4%7% in the U.S. from 20192020 to 2023.2024. We believe states will continue to institute state and local level funding initiatives dedicated towards increased infrastructure spending. We believe that growth in infrastructure spending will not be consistent across the United States, but will vary across different geographies. The public infrastructure market represented 35%38% of our revenue in 2018.2019.

The private construction market includes residential and nonresidential new construction and the repair and remodel market. According to the PCA, the number of total housing starts in the United States, a leading indicator for our residential business, is expected to grow 5%7% from 20192020 to 2023.2024. In addition, the PCA projects that spending in private nonresidential construction will grow 5%6% over the same period. Growth in private construction spending is influenced by changes in population, employment and general economic activity, among other factors which vary by geography across the United States. The private construction market represented 65%62% of our revenue in 2018.2019.

In addition to anticipated demand growth in our end markets, we expect continued improvement in pricing, especially in our materials businesses. The United States Geological Survey ("USGS") reports that aggregates pricing has increased in 70 of the last 75 years. Accordingly, we believe that this trend will continue in the future. The PCA estimates that cement consumption will increase approximately 6%8% in the U.S. from 20192020 to 2023,2024, reflecting rising demand in the major end markets. We believe that the increased demand will drive higher cement pricing as production capacity in the United States tightens.

Historically, we have supplemented organic growth with acquisitions by strategically targeting attractive, new markets and expanding in existing markets. We consider population trends, employment rates, competitive landscape, private and public construction outlook, public funding and various other factors prior to entering a new market. In addition to considering

Our acquisition strategy, to date, has helped us to achieve scale and rapid growth, and weWe believe that significant opportunities remain for growth through acquisitions. We estimate that approximately 65% of the U.S. construction materials market is privately owned. Our management team maintains contact with hundreds of private companies. These long‑standing relationships, cultivated over decades, have been the primary source for our past acquisitions and, we believe, will continue to be an important source for future acquisitions. We believe we offer a compelling value proposition for private company sellers, including secure ongoing stewardship of their legacy businesses.

We operate in 23 U.S. states and in British Columbia, Canada and have assets in 22 U.S. states and in British Columbia, Canada through our platforms that make up our operating segments: West; East; and Cement. The 10 platform businesses in the West and East segments have their own management teams that report to a segment president or chief operating officer.teams. The segment presidentsplatform management teams are responsible for overseeing the operating platforms, implementing best practices, developing growth opportunities and integrating acquired businesses. Acquisitions are an important element of our strategy, as weWe seek to enhance value through increased scale, efficiencies and cost savings within local markets.

 

The following table lists acquisitions we have completed since August 2009:in the last three years:

In the past, public infrastructure sector funding was underpinned by a series of six‑year federal highway authorization bills. Federal funds are allocated to the states, which are required to match a portion of the federal funds they receive. Federal highway spending uses funds predominantly from the Federal Highway Trust Fund, which derives its revenue from taxes on diesel fuel, gasoline and other user fees. The dependability of federal funding allows the state departments of transportation to plan for their long-term highway construction and maintenance needs. The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (“FAST”) Act was signed into law on December 4, 2015 and authorizes $305 billion of funding betweenfrom 2016 andthrough 2020. It provides funding for surface transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, transit systems, and the rail transportation network.

One contributing factor that supports pricing growth through the economic cycles is that aggregates and asphalt paving mix have significant exposure to public road construction, which has demonstrated growth over the past 30 years, even during times of broader economic weakness. The majority of public road construction spending is funded at the state level through the states’ respective departments of transportation. Texas, Utah and Missouri, three of the states in which we have had our highest revenues, have funds with certain constitutional protections for revenue sources dedicated for transportation projects. These dedicated, earmarked funding sources limit the negative effect state deficits may have on public spending. As a result, we believe our business’ profitability is significantly more stable than most other building product subsectors.

Our dry process cement plants in Hannibal, Missouri and Davenport, Iowa were commissioned in 2008 and 1981, respectively. These low-cost cement plants have efficient manufacturing capabilities and are strategically located on the

The U.S. construction materials industry is composed of four primary sectors: aggregates; cement; ready‑mix concrete; and asphalt paving mix. Each of these materials is widely used in most forms of construction activity. Participants in these sectors typically range from small, privately‑held companies focused on a single material, product or market to publicly traded multinational corporations that offer a wide array of construction materials and services. Competition is constrained in part by the distance materials can be transported efficiently, resulting in predominantly local or regional operations. Due to the lack of product differentiation, competition for all of our products is predominantly based on price and, to a lesser extent, quality of products and service. As a result, the prices we charge our customers are not likely to be materially different from the prices charged by other producers in the same markets. Accordingly, our profitability is generally dependent on the level of demand for our products and materials and our ability to control operating costs.

Transportation infrastructure projects, driven by both federal and state funding programs, represent a significant share of the U.S. construction materials market. Federal funds are allocated to the states, which are required to match a portion of the

In addition to federal funding, state, county and local agencies provide highway construction and maintenance funding. Our four largest states by revenue, Texas, Kansas, Utah Kansas and Missouri, represented approximately 23%22%, 13%, 12% and 8%10%, respectively, of our total revenue in 2018.2019.

Demand for our materials and products is observed to have low elasticity in relation to prices. We believe this is partially explained by the absence of competitive replacement products. We do not believe that increases in our prices of materials or products are likely to affect the decision to undertake a construction project since these costs usually represent a small portion of total construction costs.

We operate our construction materials, products and paving and related services businesses through local management teams, which work closely with our end customers to deliver the materials, products and services that meet each customer’s specific needs for a project. We believe that this strong local presence gives us a competitive advantage by allowing us to obtain a unique understanding for the evolving needs of our customers.

We have operations in 23 U.S. states and in British Columbia, Canada. Our business in each region is vertically‑integrated. We supply aggregates internally for the production of cement, ready‑mix concrete and asphalt paving mix and a significant portion of our asphalt paving mix is used internally by our paving and related services businesses. In the year ended December 29, 2018,28, 2019, approximately 76%79% of our aggregates production was sold directly to outside customers with the remaining amount being further processed by us and sold as a downstream product. In addition, we operate a municipal waste landfill in our East segment, and have construction and demolition debris landfills and liquid asphalt terminal operations in our West and East segments.

Approximately 74%68% of our asphalt paving mix was installed by our paving and related services businesses in the year ended December 29, 2018.28, 2019. We charge a market price and competitive margin at each stage of the production process in order to optimize profitability across our operations. Our production value chain is illustrated as follows:

Aggregates are key material components used in the production of cement, ready‑mix concrete and asphalt paving mixes for the public infrastructure, residential and nonresidential end markets and are also widely used for various applications

We believe that the long‑term growth of the market for aggregates is predominantly driven by growth in population, employment and households, which in turn affects demand for transportation infrastructure, residential and nonresidential construction, including stores, shopping centers and restaurants. While short‑term demand for aggregates fluctuates with economic cycles, the declines have historically been followed by strong recovery, with each peak establishing a new historical high. We believe we are in the midst ofexperiencing an extended economic recovery.

We mine limestone, gravel, and other natural resources from 140132 crushed stone quarries and 105104 sand and gravel deposits throughout the United States and in British Columbia, Canada. Our extensive network of quarries, plants and facilities, located throughout the regions in which we operate, enables us to have a nearby operation to meet the needs of customers in each of our markets. As of December 29, 2018,28, 2019, we had approximately 3.9 billion tons of proven and probable reserves of recoverable stone, and sand and gravel of suitable quality for economic extraction. Our estimate is based on drilling and studies by geologists and engineers, recognizing reasonable economic and operating restraints as to maximum depth of extraction and permit or other restrictions. Reported proven and probable reserves include only quantities that are owned or under lease, and for which all required zoning and permitting have been obtained. Of the 3.9 billion tons of proven and probable aggregates reserves, 2.42.3 billion, or 60%, are located on owned land and 1.51.6 billion are located on leased land.

According to the August 2018September 2019 U.S. Geological Survey, approximately 1.5 billion tons of crushed stone with a value of approximately $15.6$16.7 billion was produced in the United States in 2017,2018, which was consistent with the 1.5 billion tons produced in 2016.2017. Sand and gravel production was approximately 1.1 billion tons in 2018 and 1.0 billion tons in 2017, and 2016, valued at approximately $7.8$8.6 billion in 2017.2018. The U.S. aggregate industry is highly fragmented relative to other building product markets, with numerous participants operating in localized markets and the top ten players controlling approximately 35% of the national market in 2018.2019. In January 2018,February 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey reported that a total of 1,4001,465 companies operating 3,700

Transportation costs are a major variable in determining the marketing radius for our products. The cost of transporting aggregate products from the plant to the market often equates to or exceeds the sale price of the product at the plant. As a result of the high transportation costs and the large quantities of bulk material that have to be shipped, finished products are typically marketed locally. High transportation costs are responsible for the wide dispersion of production sites. Where possible, construction material producers maintain operations adjacent to highly populated areas to reduce transportation costs and enhance margins. However, more recently, rising land values combined with local environmental concerns have been forcing production sites to move further away from the end‑use locations.

Each quarry location is unique with regards to demand for each product, proximity to competition and distribution network. Each of our aggregates operations is responsible for the sale and marketing of its aggregates products. Approximately 76%79% of our aggregates production is sold directly to outside customers and the remaining amount is further processed by us and sold as a downstream product. Even though aggregates are a commodity product, we work to optimize pricing depending on the site location, availability of a particular product, customer type, project type and haul cost. We sell aggregates to internal downstream operations at market prices.

A significant portion of annual demand for aggregates is derived from large public infrastructure and highway construction projects. According to the Montana Contractors’ Association, approximately 38,000 tons of aggregate are required to construct a one mile stretch of a typical four‑lane interstate highway. Highways located in markets with significant seasonal temperature variances are particularly vulnerable to freeze‑thaw conditions that exert excessive stress on pavement and lead to

The primary national players areOur competitors in aggregates supply include large vertically‑integrated companies, including Vulcan Materials Company, Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (“Martin Marietta”), CRH plc, Heidelberg Cement plc (“Heidelberg”), LafargeHolcim and Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (“Cemex”), that have a combined estimated market share of approximately 30%. Our major aggregates competitors by segment include the following:

We believe we have a strong competitive advantage in aggregates through our well located reserves and assets in key markets, high quality reserves and our logistic networks. We further share and implement best practices relating to safety, strategy, sales and marketing, production, and environmental and land management. Our vertical integration and local market knowledge enable us to maintain a strong understanding of the needs of our aggregates customers. In addition, our companies have a reputation for responsible environmental stewardship and land restoration, which assists us in obtaining new permits and new reserves.

Portland cement, an industry term for the common cement in general use around the world, is made from a combination of limestone, shale, clay, silica and iron ore. It is a fundamental building material consumed in several stages throughout the construction cycle of public infrastructure, residential and nonresidential projects. It is a binding agent that, when mixed with sand or aggregates and water, produces either ready‑mix concrete or mortar and is an important component of other essential construction materials. Cement is sold either in bulk or as branded products in bags, depending on its final user. Few construction projects can take place without utilizing cement somewhere in the design, making it a key ingredient used in the construction industry. The majority of all cement shipments are sent to ready‑mix concrete operators. The remaining shipments are directed to concrete paving projects or manufacturers of concrete-related products such as block and precast. Sales are made on the basis of competitive terms and prices in each market. Nearly two‑thirds of U.S. consumption occurs between May and November, coinciding with end‑market construction activity.

Cement is manufactured through a closely controlled chemical combination of calcium, silicon, aluminum, iron and other ingredients. Common materials used to source these chemicals include limestone (approximately 80% of chemical mixture), shale, clay, slate, slag, silica sand and iron ore. Generally, the limestone and shale are mined from quarries located on site with the production plant. These core ingredients are blended and crushed into a fine grind and then preheated and ultimately introduced into a kiln heated to over 3,000°F. Under this extreme heat, a chemical transformation occurs uniting the elements to form a new substance with new physical and chemical characteristics. This new substance is called clinker and it is formed into pieces approximately the size of marbles. The clinker is then cooled and later ground into a fine powder that then is classified as Portland cement.

As reported by the PCA in the 20182019 United States Cement Industry Annual Yearbook, consumption is down significantlyup from the industry peaktrough of approximately 140.977.6 million tons in 20052010 to approximately 106.5108.8 million tons in 20172018 consistent with a declinean increase in U.S. construction activity. Cement sales are still below their peak, but we believe there will be additional growth in

We operate a highly‑efficient, low-cost integrated cement manufacturing and distribution network through our cement plants in Hannibal, Missouri, 100 miles north of St. Louis, and Davenport, Iowa and our 10nine terminals along the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Louisiana. The combined potential capacity at our Hannibal and Davenport cement plants is

Cement is a product that is costly to transport. Consequently, the radius within which a typical cement plant is competitive with truck transportation is typically limited to 150 miles from any shipping/distribution point. However, access to rail and barge can extend the distribution radius significantly. With both of our plants located strategically on the Mississippi River, we are able to cost effectively distribute cement from both of our plants by truck, rail and barge directly to customers or to our 10nine storage and distribution terminals along the Mississippi River. Our Hannibal and Davenport plants are strategically located on the Mississippi River and, consequently, in 2018,2019, approximately 70%63% of cement distributed to our terminals and customers was shipped by barge, which is significantly more cost‑effective than truck transport.

Cement plants are subject to the Portland Cement – Maximum Achievable Control Technology (“PC‑MACT”). Our Hannibal and Davenport cement plants utilize alternative fuels, hazardous and non‑hazardous at Hannibal and non‑hazardous at Davenport, as well as coal, natural gas and petroleum coke and, as a result, are subject to the Hazardous Waste Combustor of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (“HWC‑NESHAP”) and Commercial/Industrial Solid Waste Incinerators (“CISWI”) standards, respectively, rather than PC‑MACT standards.

Ready‑mix concrete is one of the most versatile and widely used materials in construction today. Its flexible recipe characteristics allow for an end product that can assume almost any color, shape, texture and strength to meet the many requirements of end users that range from bridges, foundations, skyscrapers, pavements, dams, houses, parking garages, water treatment facilities, airports, tunnels, power plants, hospitals and schools. The versatility of ready‑mix concrete gives engineers significant flexibility when designing these projects.

Cement, coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, water and admixtures are the primary ingredients in ready‑mix concrete. The cement and water are combined and a chemical reaction process called hydration occurs whereby a paste is produced. This paste or binder represents between 15% to 20% of the volume of the mix that coats each particle of aggregate and serves as the agent that binds the aggregates together, according to the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (“NRMCA”). The aggregates represent approximately 60% to 75% of the mix by volume, with a small portion of volume (5% to 8%) consisting of entrapped air that is generated by using air entraining admixtures. Once fully hydrated, the workable concrete will then harden and take on the shape of the form in which it was placed.

The quality of a concrete mix is generally determined by the weight ratio of water to cement. Higher quality concrete is produced by lowering the water‑cement ratio as much as possible without sacrificing the workability of the fresh concrete. Specialty admixtures such as high range water reducers can aid in achieving this condition without sacrificing quality. Competition among ready‑mix concrete suppliers is generally based on product characteristics, delivery times, customer service and price. Product characteristics such as tensile strength, resistance to pressure, durability, set times, ease of placing, aesthetics, workability under various weather and construction conditions as well as environmental effect are the main criteria that our customers consider for selecting their product. Our quality assurance program produces results in excess of design strengths while optimizing material costs. Additionally, we believe our strategic network of locations and superior customer service gives us a competitive advantage relative to other producers. Our ready‑mix concrete operations compete with CEMEX in Texas and Nevada and CRH plc in Utah and Colorado and various other privately owned competitors in other parts of the West and East segments.

Other materials commonly used in the production of ready‑mix concrete include fly‑ash, a waste by‑product from coal burning power plants, silica fume, a waste by‑product generated from the manufacture of silicon and ferro‑silicon metals, and ground granulated blast furnace slag, a by‑product of the iron and steel manufacturing process. All of these products have cementitious properties that enhance the strength, durability and permeability of the concrete. These materials are available

Given the high weight‑to‑value ratio, delivery of ready‑mix concrete is typically limited to a one‑hour haul from a production plant and is further limited by a 90 minute window in which newly‑mixed concrete must be poured to maintain quality and performance. As a result of the transportation constraints, the ready‑mix concrete market is highly localized, with an estimated 5,500 ready‑mix concrete plants in the United States according to the NRMCA. According to the NRMCA,

We believe our West and East segments are leaders in the supply of ready‑mix concrete in their respective markets. The West segment has ready‑mix concrete operations in the Texas, Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Colorado markets. Our East segment supplies ready‑mix concrete in the Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia markets and surrounding areas. We operated 69 ready-mix concrete plants and over 700 concrete delivery trucks in the West segment and 5655 ready-mix concrete plants and almost 400 concrete delivery trucks in the East segment as of December 29, 2018.28, 2019. Our aggregates business serves as the primary source of the raw materials for our concrete production, functioning essentially as a supplier to our ready‑mix concrete operations. Different types of concrete include lightweight concrete, high performance concrete, self‑compacting/consolidating concrete and architectural concrete and are used in a variety of activities ranging from building construction to highway paving.

Asphalt paving mix is the most common roadway material used today. It is a versatile and essential building material that has been used to surface 94% of the more than 2.7 million miles of paved roadways in the United States, according to the National Asphalt Pavement Association (“NAPA”).

Typically, asphalt paving mix is placed in three distinct layers to create a flexible pavement structure. These layers consist of a base course, an intermediate or binder course, and a surface or wearing course. These layers vary in thicknesses of three to six inches for base mix, two to four inches for intermediate mix and one to two inches for surface mix.

The use of warm mix asphalt (“WMA”) or “green” asphalt is gaining popularity. The immediate benefit to producing WMA is the reduction in energy consumption required by burning fuels to heat traditional hot mix asphalt (“HMA”) to temperatures in excess of 300°F at the production plant. These high production temperatures are needed to allow the asphalt binder to become viscous enough to completely coat the aggregate in the HMA, have good workability during laying and compaction, and durability during traffic exposure. According to the Federal Highway Administration, WMA can reduce the mixing temperature by 5050°F to 70°F, resulting in lower emissions, fumes and odors generated at the plant and the paving site.

Approximately 74%68% of the asphalt paving mix we produce is installed by our own paving crews. The rest is sold on a per ton basis to road contractors, state departments of transportation and local agencies. Asphalt paving mix is used by our paving crews and by our customers primarily for the construction of roads, driveways and parking lots.

According to NAPA, there were approximately 3,500 asphalt paving mix plants in the United States in 20172018 and an estimated 379.4389.3 million tons of asphalt paving mix was produced in 20172018 compared to 374.9379.4 million tons produced in 2016.2017. Our asphalt paving mix operations compete with CRH plc and other local suppliers. Based on availability of internal aggregate supply, quality, operating efficiencies, and location advantages, we believe we are well positioned vis‑à‑vis our competitors.

Asphalt paving mix is generally applied at high temperatures. Prolonged exposure to air causes the mix to lose temperature and harden. Therefore, delivery is typically within close proximity to the asphalt paving mix plant. Local market

As part of our vertical integration strategy, we provide asphalt paving and related services to both the private and public infrastructure sectors as either a prime or sub‑contractor. These services complement our construction materials and products businesses by providing a reliable downstream outlet, in addition to our external distribution channels.

Our asphalt paving and related services businesses bid on both private construction and public infrastructure projects in their respective local markets. We only provide paving and related services operations as a complement to our aggregates operations, which we believe is a major competitive strength. Factors affecting competitiveness in this business segment include price, estimating abilities, knowledge of local markets and conditions, project management, financial strength, reputation for quality and the availability of machinery and equipment.

Contracts with our customers are primarily fixed price or fixed unit price. Under fixed unit price contracts, we provide materials or services at fixed unit prices (for example, dollars per ton of asphalt placed). While the fixed unit price contract shifts the risk of estimating the quantity of units required for a particular project to the customer, any increase in our unit cost over the bid amount, whether due to inflation, inefficiency, errors in our estimates or other factors, is borne by us unless otherwise provided in the contract. Most of our contracts contain adjustment provisions to account for changes in liquid asphalt prices.

Our business is not dependent on any single customer or a few customers. Therefore, the loss of any single or particular small number of customers would not have a material adverse effect on any individual respective market in which we operate or on us as a whole. No individual customer accounted for more than 10% of our 20182019 revenue.

Use and consumption of our products fluctuate due to seasonality. Nearly all of the products used by us, and by our customers, in the private construction or public infrastructure industries are used outdoors. Our highway operations and production and distribution facilities are also located outdoors. Therefore, seasonal changes and other weather‑related conditions, in particular extended rainy and cold weather in the spring and fall and major weather events, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical storms, and heavy snows and flooding, can adversely affect our business and operations through a decline in both the use of our products and demand for our services. In addition, construction materials production and shipment levels follow activity in the construction industry, which typically occurs in the spring, summer and fall. Warmer and drier weather during the second and third quarters of our fiscal year typically result in higher activity and revenue levels during those quarters. The first quarter of our fiscal year typically has lower levels of activity due to weather conditions.

Our products are generally delivered upon receipt of orders or requests from customers, or shortly thereafter. Accordingly, the backlog associated with product sales is converted into revenue within a relatively short period of time. Inventory for products is generally maintained in sufficient quantities to meet rapid delivery requirements of customers. Therefore, a period over period increase or decrease of backlog does not necessarily result in an improvement or a deterioration of our business. Our backlog includes only those products and projects for which we have obtained a purchase order or a signed contract with the customer and does not include products purchased and sold or services awarded and provided within the period.

Subject to applicable contract terms, substantially all contracts in our backlog may be canceled or modified by our customers. Historically, we have not been materially adversely affected by significant contract cancellations or modifications. As a vertically‑integrated business, approximately 24% of aggregates sold were used internally in our ready‑mix concrete and asphalt paving mixes and approximately 74% of the asphalt paving mix was laid by our paving crews during the year ended December 29, 2018. Our backlog as of December 29, 2018, was 15.3 million tons of aggregates, 1.2 million cubic yards of ready‑mix concrete, 2.7 million tons of asphalt and $381.8 million of construction services, which includes the value of the aggregate and asphalt tons and ready‑mix concrete cubic yards that are expected to be sourced internally.

We do not own or have a license or other rights under any patents that are material to our business.

Summit Materials, Inc. and Summit Materials, LLC were formed under the laws of the State of Delaware on September 23, 2014 and September 24, 2008, respectively. Our principal executive office is located at 1550 Wynkoop Street, 3rd Floor, Denver, Colorado 80202. Through its predecessor, Summit Inc. commenced operations in 2009 when Summit Holdings was formed. Our telephone number is (303) 893-0012.

As of December 29, 2018,28, 2019, we had approximately 6,000 employees, of whom approximately 80% were hourly workers and the remainder were salaried employees. Because of the seasonal nature of our industry, many of our hourly and certain of our salaried employees are subject to seasonal layoffs. The scope of layoffs varies greatly from season to season as they are predominantly a function of the type of projects in process and the weather during the late fall through early spring.

Approximately 7% of our employees are union members, with whom we believe we enjoy a satisfactory working relationship.

We are party to certain legal actions arising from the ordinary course of business activities. While the ultimate results of claims and litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, management expects that the ultimate resolution of all current pending or threatened claims and litigation will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

In March 2018, we were notified of an investigation by the Canadian Competition Bureau (the “CCB”) into pricing practices by certain asphalt paving contractors in British Columbia, including Winvan Paving, Ltd. (“Winvan”). We believe the investigation is focused on time periods prior to our April 2017 acquisition of Winvan and we are cooperating with the CCB. Although we currently do not believe this matter will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations, we are not able to predict the ultimate outcome or cost of the investigation at this time.

Pursuant to an Administrative Order on Consent with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and later amendment to that Order, Continental Cement paid a penalty of $75,000penalties totaling $100,000 relating to alleged past violations of air pollution control requirements at its Hannibal, Missouri facility.  Recent alleged additional violations of environmental requirements may result in the payment of further penalties under that Order, which although anticipated to be immaterial to us, may in aggregate with the prior $75,000 penalty, exceed $100,000.

We are subject to federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations relating to the environment and to health and safety, including noise, discharges to air and water, waste management including the management of hazardous waste used as a fuel substitute in our cement plants, remediation of contaminated sites, mine reclamation, operation and closure of landfills and dust control and zoning, land use and permitting. Our failure to comply with such laws and regulations can result in sanctions such as fines or the cessation of part or all of our operations. From time to time, we may also be required to conduct investigation or remediation activities. There also can be no assurance that our compliance costs or liabilities associated with such laws and regulations or activities will not be significant.

In addition, our operations require numerous governmental approvals and permits. Environmental operating permits are subject to modification, renewal and revocation and can require us to make capital, maintenance and operational expenditures to comply with the applicable requirements. Stricter laws and regulations, or more stringent interpretations of existing laws or regulations, may impose new liabilities on us, reduce operating hours, require additional investment by us in pollution control equipment or impede our opening new, expanding or maintaining existing plants or facilities. We regularly monitor and review our operations, procedures and policies for compliance with environmental laws and regulations, changes in interpretations of existing laws and enforcement policies, new laws that are adopted, and new requirements that we anticipate will be adopted that could affect our operations.

Multiple permits are required for our operations, including those required to operate our cement plants. Applicable permits may include conditional use permits to allow us to operate in certain areas absent zoning approval and operational permits governing, among other matters, air and water emissions, dust, particulate matter and storm water management and

Like others in our industry, we expend substantial amounts to comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations and permit limitations, which include amounts for pollution control equipment required to monitor and regulate emissions into the environment. The Hannibal and Davenport cement plants are subject to HWC-MACT and CISWI standards, respectively, for which we do not expect any material incremental costs to maintain compliance. Since many environmental requirements are likely to be affected by future legislation or rule making by government agencies, and are therefore not quantifiable, it is not possible to accurately predict the aggregate future costs of compliance and their effect on our future financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

At most of our quarries, we incur reclamation obligations as part of our mining activities. Reclamation methods and requirements can vary depending on the individual site and state regulations. Generally, we are required to grade the mined properties to a certain slope and seed the property to prevent erosion. We record a mining reclamation liability in our consolidated financial statements to reflect the estimated fair value of the cost to reclaim each property including active and closed sites.

Our operations in Kansas include one municipal waste landfill and four construction and demolition debris landfills, one of which has been closed and in Colorado, we have a construction and demolition debris landfill. In Vancouver, British Columbia, we operate a landfill site that accepts environmentally clean soil deposits. Among other environmental, health and safety requirements, we are subject to obligations to appropriately close those landfills at the end of their useful lives and provide for appropriate post‑closure care. Asset retirement obligations relating to these landfills are recorded in our consolidated financial statements.

Our facilities and operations are subject to a variety of worker health and safety requirements, particularly those administered by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) and Mine Safety and Health Administration (“MSHA”). Throughout our organization, we strive for a zero‑incident safety culture and full compliance with safety regulations. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in sanctions such as fines and penalties and claims for personal injury and property damage. These requirements may also result in increased operating and capital costs in the future.

Worker safety and health matters are overseen by our corporate risk management and safety department as well as operating company level safety managers. We provide our operating company level safety managers leadership and support, comprehensive training, and other tools designed to accomplish health and safety goals, reduce risk, eliminate hazards, and ultimately make our work places safer.

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Our SEC filings are also available on our website, free of charge, at http://www.summit-materials.com as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the SEC.

We maintain an internet site at http://www.summit-materials.com. Our website and the information contained on or connected to that site are not incorporated into this report.

We sell most of our construction materials and products and provide all of our paving and related services to the construction industry, so our results are significantly affected by the strength of the construction industry. Federal and state budget issues may negatively affect the amount of funding available for infrastructure spending, particularly highway construction, which constitutes a significant portion of our business. Demand for our products, particularly in the residential and nonresidential construction markets, could decline if companies and consumers cannot obtain funding for construction projects. In addition, a slow pace of economic activity typically results in delays or cancellations of capital projects.

Our earnings depend on the strength of the local economies in which we operate because of the high cost to transport our products relative to their price. Although some states in recent years, such as Texas, have increased their budgets for road construction, maintenance, rehabilitation and acquiring right of way for public roads, certain other states have reduced their construction spending due to budget shortfalls from lower tax revenue as well as uncertainty relating to long‑term federal highway funding prior to the FAST Act, which was signed into law on December 4, 2015.and other factors. As a result, there has been a reduction in certain states’ investment in infrastructure spending. If economic and construction activity diminishes in one or more areas, particularly in our top revenue‑generating markets of Texas, Kansas, Utah Kansas and Missouri, our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity could be materially adversely affected.

Our business is cyclical and requires that we maintain significant working capital to fund our operations. Our ability to generate sufficient cash flow depends on future performance, which will be subject to general economic conditions, industry cycles and financial, business and other factors affecting our operations, many of which are beyond our control. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash to operate our business and service our outstanding debt and other obligations, we may be required, among other things, to further reduce or delay planned capital or operating expenditures, sell assets or take other measures, including the restructuring of all or a portion of our debt, which may only be available, if at all, on unsatisfactory terms.

Nearly all of the products we sell and the services we provide are used or performed outdoors. Therefore, seasonal changes and other weather‑related conditions can adversely affect our business and operations through a decline in both the use and production of our products and demand for our services. Adverse weather conditions such as heavy or sustained rainy and cold weather in the spring and fall can reduce demand for our products and reduce sales, or render our contracting operations less efficient.efficient or restrict our ability to ship our products. For example, unusually severe flooding conditions on the Mississippi River during 2018, a wetter than normal third quarter, which included record levelsthe first half of rainfall in Texas during September 2018,2019, negatively impacted our operations which affected our financial results and our ability to provide accurate financial guidance to investors.results. Major weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical storms and heavy snows have adversely affected and could adversely affect sales in the near term. In particular, our operations in the southeastern and Gulf Coast regions of the United States are at risk for hurricane activity, most notably in August, September and October. For example, in 2017, Hurricane Harvey adversely affected our operations not only during the days immediately before and after the storm, but also in the weeks and months after the storm as our customers recovered and reallocated resources in response to damage caused by the storm.

Construction materials production and shipment levels follow activity in the construction industry, which typically occurs in the spring, summer and fall. Warmer and drier weather during the second and third quarters of our fiscal year typically result in higher activity and revenue levels during those quarters. The first quarter of our fiscal year has typically lower levels of activity due to the weather conditions. Our second quarter varies greatly with spring rains and wide temperature variations. A cool wet spring increases drying time on projects, which can delay sales in the second quarter, while a warm dry spring may enable earlier project startup. Such adverse weather conditions can adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations if they occur with unusual intensity, during abnormal periods or last longer than usual in our major markets, especially during peak construction periods.

The property and machinery needed to produce our materials and products can be very expensive. Therefore, we need to spend a substantial amount of capital to purchase and maintain the equipment necessary to operate our business. Although we believe that our current cash balance, along with our projected internal cash flows and our available financing resources, will provide sufficient cash to support our currently anticipated operating and capital needs, if we are unable to generate sufficient cash to purchase and maintain the property and machinery necessary to operate our business, we may be required to reduce or delay planned capital expenditures or incur additional debt. In addition, given the level of fixed and semi‑fixed costs within our business, particularly at our cement production facilities, decreases in volumes could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

The U.S. construction aggregates industry is highly fragmented with a large number of independent local producers in a number of our markets. Additionally, in most markets, we compete against large private and public infrastructure companies, some of which are also vertically‑integrated. Therefore, there is intense competition in a number of the markets in which we operate. This significant competition could lead to lower prices, lower sales volumes and higher costs in some markets, negatively affecting our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

A significant portion of our historical growth has occurred through acquisitions, and we will likely enter into acquisitionsexecute acquisition transactions in the future. We are presently evaluating, and we expect to continue to evaluate on an ongoing basis, possible acquisition transactions. We are presently engaged, and at any time in the future we may be engaged, in discussions or negotiations with respect to possible acquisitions, including larger transactions that would be significant to us. We regularly make, and we expect to continue to make, non‑binding acquisition proposals, and we may enter into letters of intent, in each case allowing us to conduct due diligence on a confidential basis. In addition, from time to time we may enter into dispositions or other transactions involving certain of our assets or businesses. We cannot predict the timing of any contemplated transactions. To successfully acquire a significant target, we may need to raise additional capital through additional equity issuances, additional indebtedness, or a combination of equity and debt issuances. There can be no assurance that we will enter into definitive agreements with respect to any contemplated transactions or that they will be completed. Our growth has placed, and will continue to place, significant demands on our management and operational and financial resources. Acquisitions involve risks that, among other things, the businesses acquired will not perform as expected.

Our results of operations from these acquisitions could, in the future, result in impairment charges for any of our intangible assets, including goodwill, or other long‑lived assets, particularly if economic conditions worsen unexpectedly. As a result of these changes, our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity could be materially adversely affected. In addition, many of the businesses that we have acquired and will acquire have unaudited financial statements that have been prepared by the management of such companies and have not been independently reviewed or audited. We cannot assure you that the financial statements of companies we have acquired or will acquire would not be materially different if such statements were independently reviewed or audited. If such statements were to be materially different, the tangible and intangible assets we acquire may be more susceptible to impairment charges, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

Acquisitions may require integration of the acquired companies’ sales and marketing, distribution, production, purchasing, finance and administrative organizations. We may not be able to integrate successfully any business we may acquire or have acquired into our existing business and any acquired businesses may not be profitable or as profitable as we had expected. Our inability to complete the integration of new businesses in a timely and orderly manner could increase costs and lower profits. Factors affecting the successful integration of acquired businesses include, but are not limited to, the following:

We cannot assure you we will be able to retain local managers and employees who are important to the operations of our acquired businesses. The loss of key employees may have an adverse effect on the acquired business and on our business as a whole.

Aggregates are bulky and heavy and therefore difficult to transport efficiently. Because of the nature of the products, the freight costs can quickly surpass production costs. Therefore, except for geographic regions that do not possess commercially viable deposits of aggregates and are served by rail, barge or ship, the markets for our products tend to be localized around our quarry sites and are served by truck. New quarry sites often take a number of years to develop. Our strategic planning and new site development must stay ahead of actual growth. Additionally, in a number of urban and suburban areas in which we operate, it is increasingly difficult to permit new sites or expand existing sites due to community resistance. Therefore, our future success is dependent, in part, on our ability to accurately forecast future areas of high growth in order to locate optimal facility sites and on our ability to either acquire existing quarries or secure operating and environmental permits to open new quarries. If we are unable to accurately forecast areas of future growth, acquire existing quarries or secure the necessary permits to open new quarries, our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity could be materially adversely affected.

A significant portion of our revenue is generated from publicly‑funded construction projects. As a result, if publicly‑funded construction decreases due to reduced federal or state funding or otherwise, our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity could be materially adversely affected.

Under U.S. law, annual funding levels for highways is subject to yearly appropriation reviews. This annual review of funding increases the uncertainty of many state departments of transportation regarding funds for highway projects. This uncertainty could result in states being reluctant to undertake large multi‑year highway projects which could, in turn, negatively affect our sales. We cannot be assured of the existence, amount and timing of appropriations for spending on federal, state or local projects. Federal support for the cost of highway maintenance and construction is dependent on congressional action. In addition, each state funds its infrastructure spending from specially allocated amounts collected from various taxes, typically gasoline taxes and vehicle fees, along with voter‑approved bond programs. Shortages in state tax revenues can reduce the amounts spent on state infrastructure projects, even below amounts awarded under legislative bills. In recent years, certain states have experienced state‑level funding pressures caused by lower tax revenues and an inability to finance approved projects. Delays or cancellations of state infrastructure spending could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

A significant portion of our sales are for projects with non‑public owners whose construction spending is affected by developers’ ability to finance projects. Residential and nonresidential construction could decline if companies and consumers are unable to finance construction projects or in periods of economic stagnation or recession, which could result in delays or cancellations of capital projects. If housing starts and nonresidential projects stagnate or decline, sale of our construction materials, downstream products and paving and related services may decline and our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity could be materially adversely affected.

We are subject to a variety of federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations relating to, among other things: (i) the release or discharge of materials into the environment; (ii) the management, use, generation, treatment, processing, handling, storage, transport or disposal of hazardous materials, including the management of hazardous and non-hazardous waste used as a fuel substitute in our cement kiln in Hannibal, Missouri; (iii) the management, use, generation, treatment, processing, handling, storage, transport or disposal of non‑hazardous solid waste used as a fuel substitute in our cement kiln in Davenport, Iowa; and (iv) the protection of public and employee health and safety and the environment. These laws and regulations impose strict liability in some cases without regard to negligence or fault and expose us to liability for the environmental condition of our currently or formerly owned, leased or operated facilities or third‑party waste disposal sites, and may expose us to liability for the conduct of others or for our actions, even if such actions complied with all applicable laws at the time these actions were taken. In particular, we may incur remediation costs and other related expenses because our facilities were constructed and operated before the adoption of current environmental laws and the institution of compliance practices or because certain of our processes are regulated. These laws and regulations may also expose us to liability for claims of personal injury or property or natural resource damage related to alleged exposure to, or releases of, regulated or hazardous materials. The existence of contamination at properties we own, lease or operate could also result in increased operational costs or restrictions on our ability to use those properties as intended.

There is an inherent risk of liability in the operation of our business, and despite our compliance efforts, we may be in noncompliance with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations from time to time. These potential liabilities or events of noncompliance could have a material adverse effect on our operations and profitability. In many instances, we must have government approvals, certificates, permits or licenses in order to conduct our business, which could require us to make significant capital, operating and maintenance expenditures to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Our failure to obtain and maintain required approvals, certificates, permits or licenses or to comply with applicable governmental requirements could result in sanctions, including substantial fines or possible revocation of our authority to conduct some or all of our operations. Governmental requirements that affect our operations also include those relating to air and water quality, waste management, asset reclamation, the operation and closure of municipal waste and construction and demolition debris landfills, remediation of contaminated sites and worker health and safety. These requirements are complex and subject to frequent change. Stricter laws and regulations, more stringent interpretations of existing laws or regulations or the future discovery of environmental conditions may impose new liabilities on us, reduce operating hours, require additional investment by us in pollution control equipment or impede our opening new or expanding existing plants or facilities.

We have incurred, and may in the future incur, significant capital and operating expenditures to comply with such laws and regulations.regulations, and in some cases we have been or could be named as a defendant in litigation brought by governmental agencies or private parties. In addition, we have recorded liabilities in connection with our reclamation and landfill closure obligations, but there can be no assurances that the costs of our obligations will not exceed our estimates. The cost of complying with such laws and defending against any litigation could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

Demand for our products is primarily dependent on the overall health of the economy, and federal, state and local public infrastructure funding levels. A stagnant or declining economy tends to produce less tax revenue for public infrastructure agencies, thereby decreasing a source of funds available for spending on public infrastructure improvements, which constitute a significant part of our business.

There is a likelihood that we will not be able to collect on certain of our accounts receivable from our customers. If our customers are unable to obtain credit or unable to obtain credit in a timely manner, they may be unable to pay us, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

Even though the majority of our government contracts contain raw material escalators to protect us from certain input material price increases, a portion or all of the contracts are often on a fixed cost basis. Pricing on a contract with a fixed unit price is based on approved quantities irrespective of our actual costs and contracts with a fixed total price require that the total amount of work be performed for a single price irrespective of our actual costs. We realize profit on our contracts only if our revenue exceeds actual costs, which requires that we successfully estimate our costs and then successfully control actual costs and avoid cost overruns. If our cost estimates for a contract are inadequate, or if we do not execute the contract within our cost estimates, then cost overruns may cause us to incur a loss or cause the contract not to be as profitable as we expected. The costs incurred and profit realized, if any, on our contracts can vary, sometimes substantially, from our original projections due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:

These factors, as well as others, may cause us to incur losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

We provide our customers with products designed to meet building code or other regulatory requirements and contractual specifications for measurements such as durability, compressive strength, weight‑bearing capacity and other characteristics. If we fail or are unable to provide products meeting these requirements and specifications, material claims may arise against us and our reputation could be damaged. Additionally, if a significant uninsured, non‑indemnified or product‑related claim is resolved against us in the future, that resolution could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

We could be prohibited from bidding on certain government contracts if we fail to maintain qualifications required by the relevant government entities. In addition, contracts with governmental entities can usually be canceled at any time by them with payment only for the work completed. A cancellation of an unfinished contract or our disqualification from the bidding process could result in lost revenue and cause our equipment to be idled for a significant period of time until other comparable work becomes available, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

Operating hazards inherent in our business, some of which may be outside our control, can cause personal injury and loss of life, damage to or destruction of property, plant and equipment and environmental damage. We maintain insurance coverage in amounts and against the risks we believe are consistent with industry practice, but this insurance may not be adequate or available to cover all losses or liabilities we may incur in our operations. Our insurance policies are subject to varying levels of deductibles. However, liabilities subject to insurance are difficult to estimate due to unknown factors,

We use a combination of third‑party insurance and self‑insurance to provide for potential liabilities for workers’ compensation, general liability, vehicle accident, property and medical benefit claims. Although we seek to minimize our exposure on individual claims, for the benefit of costs savings we have accepted the risk of multiple independent material claims arising. We estimate the projected losses and liabilities associated with the risks retained by us, in part, by considering historical claims experience, demographic and severity factors and other actuarial assumptions which, by their nature, are subject to a high degree of variability. Among the causes of this variability are unpredictable external factors affecting future inflation rates, discount rates, litigation trends, legal interpretations, benefit level changes and claim settlement patterns. Any such matters could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

We are highly leveraged. As of December 29, 2018,28, 2019, our total debt was approximately $1.8$1.9 billion, which includes $1.2$1.3 billion of Senior Notes and $630.6$624.3 million of senior secured indebtedness under our senior secured credit facilities and

Our high degree of leverage could have important consequences, including:

Borrowings under our senior secured credit facilities are at variable rates of interest and expose us to interest rate risk. If interest rates increase, our debt service obligations on the variable rate indebtedness will increase even though the amount borrowed remained the same, and our net income and cash flows, including cash available for servicing our indebtedness, will correspondingly decrease. We have and may in the future enter into interest rate swaps that involve the exchange of floating for fixed rate interest payments in order to reduce interest rate volatility. However, we may not maintain interest rate swaps with respect to all of our variable rate indebtedness, and any interest rate swaps we enter into may not fully mitigate our interest rate risk. In addition, certain of our variable rate indebtedness uses LIBORLondon Inter-bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) as a benchmark for establishing the rate of interest. LIBOR is the subject of recent national, international and other regulatory guidance and proposals for reform. These reforms and other pressures may causeOn July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it intends to phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. It is unclear if at that time LIBOR will cease to exist or if new methods of calculating LIBOR will be replaced with a new benchmark orestablished such that it continues to perform differently than in the past.exist after 2021. The

We and our subsidiaries may incur significant additional indebtedness in the future to fund acquisitions as part of our growth strategy. Although the indentures governing the Senior Notes and the Credit Agreement contain restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, these restrictions are subject to a number of qualifications and exceptions, and we could incur substantial additional indebtedness in compliance with these restrictions.

Our senior secured credit facilities include an uncommitted incremental facility that allows us the option to increase the amount available under the term loan facility and/or the senior secured revolving credit facility by (i) $225.0 million plus (ii) an additional amount so long as we are in pro forma compliance with a consolidated first lien net leverage ratio. Availability of such incremental facilities will be subject to, among other conditions, the absence of an event of default and the receipt of commitments by existing or additional financial institutions.

Our ability to make scheduled payments on our debt obligations, refinance our debt obligations and fund planned capital expenditures and other corporate expenses depends on our financial condition and operating performance, which is subject to prevailing economic and competitive conditions. We are also subject to certain financial, business, legislative, regulatory and legal restrictions on the payment of distributions and dividends. Many of these factors are beyond our control. We may not be able to maintain a level of cash flows from operating activities sufficient to permit us to pay the principal, premium, if any, and interest on our indebtedness, which would constitute an event of default if not cured. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources.” If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations or our other needs, we may be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures, seek additional capital, restructure or refinance our indebtedness or sell assets. These alternative measures may not be successful and may not permit us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations or fund planned capital expenditures. Significant delays in our planned capital expenditures may materially and adversely affect our future revenue prospects. In addition, our ability to restructure or refinance our debt will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. Any refinancing of our debt could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants, which could further restrict our business operations. The Credit Agreement and the indentures governing the Senior Notes restrict our ability to use the proceeds from asset sales. We may not be able to consummate those asset sales to raise capital or sell assets at prices that we believe are fair and proceeds that we do receive may not be adequate to meet any debt service obligations then due. In addition, any failure to make payments of interest and principal on our outstanding indebtedness on a timely basis would likely result in a reduction of our credit rating, which could harm our ability to incur additional indebtedness.

The indentures governing the Senior Notes and Credit Agreement contain restrictive covenants that, among other things, limit our ability, and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries, to:

The senior secured credit facilities also require us to maintain a maximum first lien net leverage ratio. The Credit Agreement also contains certain customary representations and warranties, affirmative covenants and events of default (including, among others, an event of default upon a change of control). If an event of default occurs, the lenders under our senior secured credit facilities will be entitled to take various actions, including the acceleration of amounts due under our senior secured credit facilities and all actions permitted to be taken by a secured creditor. Our failure to comply with obligations under the indentures governing the Senior Notes and the Credit Agreement may result in an event of default under the indenture or the amended and restated Credit Agreement. A default, if not cured or waived, may permit acceleration of our indebtedness. If our indebtedness is accelerated, we may not have sufficient funds available to pay the accelerated indebtedness or the ability to refinance the accelerated indebtedness on terms favorable to us or at all.

Our success depends on the continuing services of our Chief Executive Officer, Tom Hill, and other key personnel led by Mr. Hill. We believe that Mr. Hill in particular possesses valuable knowledge and skills that are crucial to our success and would be difficult to replicate.replicate or replace. Not all of our senior management team resides near or works at our headquarters. The geographic distance between the members of our senior management team may impede the team’s ability to work together effectively, and we cannot assure you they will be able to do so.

Competition for senior management is intense, and we may not be able to retain our management team or attract additional qualified personnel. The unexpected loss of a member of senior management has in the past and could in the future require certain of our remaining senior officers to divert immediate attention, which couldcan be substantial or require costly external resources in the short term. While we are developing plans for key management succession and have long-term compensation plans designed to retain our senior employees, if our retention and succession plans do not operate effectively, our business could be adversely affected. The inability to adequately fill vacancies in our senior executive positions on a timely basis could negatively affect our ability to implement our business strategy, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

In our production and distribution processes, we consume significant amounts of electricity, diesel fuel, liquid asphalt and other petroleum‑based resources. The availability and pricing of these resources are subject to market forces that are beyond our control. Furthermore, we are vulnerable to any reliability issues experienced by our suppliers, which also are beyond our control. Our suppliers contract separately for the purchase of such resources and our sources of supply could be interrupted should our suppliers not be able to obtain these materials due to higher demand or other factors that interrupt their availability. Variability in the supply and prices of these resources could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

A number of governmental bodies have finalized, proposed or are contemplating legislative and regulatory changes in response to the potential effects of climate change, and the United States and Canada havehas agreed to the Paris Agreement, the successor to the Kyoto

Other potential effects of climate change include physical effects such as disruption in production and product distribution as a result of major storm events and shifts in regional weather patterns and intensities. There is also a potential for climate change legislation and regulation to adversely affect the cost of purchased energy and electricity.

The effects of climate change on our operations are highly uncertain and difficult to estimate. However, because a chemical reaction inherent to the manufacture of Portland cement releases carbon dioxide, a GHG, cement kiln operations may be disproportionately affected by future regulation of GHGs. Climate change and legislation and regulation concerning GHGs could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

The reliability and efficiency of certain of our facilities is dependent upon vital pieces of equipment, such as our cement manufacturing kilns in Hannibal, Missouri and Davenport, Iowa. Although we have scheduled outages to perform

We are dependent on information technology systems and infrastructure.infrastructure to carry out important operational activities and to maintain our business records. In addition, we rely on the systems of third parties, such as third-party vendors. As part of our normal business activities, we collect and store certain personal identifying and confidential information relating to our customers, employees, vendors and suppliers, and maintain operational and financial information related to our business. We may share some of this confidential information with our vendors. We rely on our vendors and third-party service providers to maintain effective cybersecurity measures to keep our information secure. Any significant breakdown, invasion, destruction or interruption of theseour existing or future systems by employees, third parties, vendors, others with authorized access to our systems, or unauthorized persons could negatively affect operations. In addition, future systems upgrades or changes could be time consuming, costly and result in unexpected interruptions or other adverse effects on our business. There is also a risk that we could experience a business interruption, theft of information or reputational damage as a result of a cyber-attack, such as an infiltration of a data center, or data leakage of confidential information either internally or at our third‑party providers.

While we have invested in the protection of our data and information technology to reduce these risks and periodically test the security of our information systems network, there can be no assurance that our efforts will prevent breakdowns or breaches in our systems that could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. Our or our vendors’ and third-party service providers’ failure to maintain the security of the data we are required to protect could result in damage to our reputation, financial obligations to third parties, fines, penalties, regulatory proceedings and private litigation with potentially large costs, and also in deterioration in customers’ confidence in us and other competitive disadvantages. While, to date, we have not had a significant cybersecurity breach or attack that has a material impact on our business or results of operations, there can be no assurance that our efforts to maintain the security and integrity of our information technology networks and related systems will be effective or that attempted security breaches or disruptions would not be successful or damaging.

As of December 29, 2018,28, 2019, labor unions represented approximately 7% of our total employees, substantially all in our cement division and at our Canadian operations. Our collective bargaining agreements for employees generally expire between 2020 and 2024. Although we believe we have good relations with our employees and unions, disputes with our trade unions, union organizing activity, or the inability to renew our labor agreements or adverse labor relations at any of our locations, could lead to strikes, other forms of work stoppage, slowdowns or other actions that could disrupt our operations and, consequently, have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

Summit Inc. is a holding company and has no material assets other than its ownership of LP Units and has no independent means of generating revenue. Summit Inc. intends to cause Summit Holdings to make distributions to holders and former holders of LP Units in an amount sufficient to cover all applicable taxes at assumed tax rates, payments under the TRA and cash distributions, if any, declared by it. Deterioration in the financial condition, earnings or cash flow of Summit Holdings and its subsidiaries for any reason, or restrictions on payments by subsidiaries to their parent companies under applicable laws, including laws that require companies to maintain minimum amounts of capital and to make payments to stockholders only from profits, could limit or impair their ability to pay such distributions. Additionally, to the extent that Summit Inc. needs funds, and Summit Holdings is restricted from making such distributions under applicable law or regulation or under the terms of our financing arrangements, or is otherwise unable to provide such funds, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

Payments of dividends, if any, are at the discretion of our board of directors after taking into account various factors, including our business, operating results and financial condition, current and anticipated cash needs, plans for expansion and any legal or contractual limitations on our ability to pay dividends. Any financing arrangement that we enter into in the future may include restrictive covenants that limit our ability to pay dividends. In addition, Summit Holdings is generally prohibited under Delaware law from making a distribution to a limited partner to the extent that, at the time of the distribution, after giving effect to the distribution, liabilities of Summit Holdings (with certain exceptions) exceed the fair value of its assets. Subsidiaries of Summit Holdings are generally subject to similar legal limitations on their ability to make distributions to Summit Holdings.

The limited partnership agreement of Summit Holdings provides for cash distributions, which we refer to as “tax distributions,” to be made to the holders of the LP Units if it is determined that the income of Summit Inc. will give rise to net taxable income allocable to holders of LP Units. To the extent that future tax distributions Summit Inc. receives exceed the amounts it actually requires to pay taxes and make payments under the TRA, we expect that our board of directors will cause Summit Inc. to use such excess cash to acquire additional newly-issued LP Units at a per unit price determined by reference to

Holders of LP Units (other than Summit Inc.) may, subject to the vesting and minimum retained ownership requirements and transfer restrictions applicable to such holders as set forth in the limited partnership agreement of Summit Holdings, from and after March 17, 2016 (subject to the terms of the exchange agreement), exchange their LP Units for Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis. The exchanges are expected to result in increases in the tax basis of the tangible and intangible assets of Summit Holdings. These increases in tax basis may increase (for tax purposes) depreciation and amortization deductions and therefore reduce the amount of tax that Summit Inc. would otherwise be required to pay in the

In connection with the IPO, we entered into a TRA with the holders of LP Units that provides for the payment by Summit Inc. to exchanging holders of LP Units of 85% of the benefits, if any, that Summit Inc. is deemed to realize as a result of the increases in tax basis described above and certain other tax benefits related to entering into the TRA, including tax benefits attributable to payments under the TRA. This payment obligation is an obligation of Summit Inc. and not of Summit Holdings. While the actual increase in tax basis and the actual amount and utilization of net operating losses, as well as the amount and timing of any payments under the TRA, will vary depending upon a number of factors, including the timing of exchanges, the price of shares of our Class A common stock at the time of the exchange, the extent to which such exchanges are taxable and the amount and timing of our income, we expect that as a result of the size of the transfers and increases in the tax basis of the tangible and intangible assets of Summit Holdings and our possible utilization of net operating losses, the payments that Summit Inc. may make under the TRA will be substantial.

The TRA provides that upon certain changes of control, or if, at any time, Summit Inc. elects an early termination of the TRA, Summit Inc.’s obligations under the TRA may be accelerated. Summit Inc.’s ability to achieve benefits from any tax basis increase or net operating losses, and the payments to be made under the TRA, will depend upon a number of factors, including the timing and amount of our future income. As a result, even in the absence of a change of control or an election to terminate the TRA, payments under the TRA could be in excess of 85% of Summit Inc.’s actual cash tax savings.

The actual cash tax savings realized by Summit Inc. under the TRA may be less than the corresponding TRA payments. Further, payments under the TRA may be made years in advance of when the benefits, if any, are realized on our federal and state income tax returns. Accordingly, there may be a material negative effect on our liquidity if the payments under the TRA exceed the actual cash tax savings that Summit Inc. realizes in respect of the tax attributes subject to the TRA and/or distributions to Summit Inc. by Summit Holdings are not sufficient to permit Summit Inc. to make payments under the TRA. Based upon a $12.40$23.84 share price of our Class A common stock, which was the closing price on December 28, 2018,27, 2019, and a contractually defined discount rate of 4.01%3.0%, we estimate that if Summit Inc. were to exercise its termination right, the aggregate amount of these termination payments would be approximately $259$289 million. The foregoing number is merely an estimate and the actual payments could differ materially. We may need to incur debt to finance payments under the TRA to the extent our cash resources are insufficient to meet our obligations under the TRA as a result of timing discrepancies or otherwise.

The market price of our Class A common stock may be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations. Securities markets worldwide have recently experiencedexperience significant price and volume fluctuations. This market volatility, as well as general economic, market or political conditions, could reduce the market price of shares of our Class A common stock

In recent years, stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. In the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.

We have no current plans to pay any cash dividends. The declaration, amount and payment of any future dividends on shares of Class A common stock will be at the sole discretion of our board of directors. Our board of directors may take into account general and economic conditions, our financial condition and results of operations, our available cash and current and anticipated cash needs, capital requirements, contractual, legal, tax and regulatory restrictions and implications on the payment of dividends by us to our stockholders or by our subsidiaries to us and such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, our ability to pay dividends is limited by our senior secured credit facilities and our Senior Notes and may be limited by covenants of other indebtedness we or our subsidiaries incur in the future. As a result, you may not receive any return on an investment in our Class A common stock unless you sell our Class A common stock for a price greater than that which you paid for it.

As of December 29, 2018,28, 2019, we had 111,658,927113,309,385 shares of Class A common stock issued and outstanding, and 888,341,073886,690,615 shares authorized but unissued. The number of unissued shares includes 3,435,5183,249,657 shares available for issuance upon exchange of LP Units held by limited partners of Summit Holdings. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue shares of Class A common stock and options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to Class A common stock for the consideration and on the terms and conditions established by our board of directors in its sole discretion. We may need to raise significant additional equity capital in connection with acquisitions or otherwise. Similarly, the limited partnership agreement of Summit Holdings permits Summit Holdings to issue an unlimited number of additional limited partnership interests of Summit Holdings with designations, preferences, rights, powers and duties that are different from, and may be senior to, those applicable to the LP Units, and which may be exchangeable for shares of our Class A common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of Class A common stock, or securities convertible or exchangeable for Class A common stock, or the perception that such sales could occur may adversely affect the prevailing market price for the shares of our Class A common stock. Thus holders of our Class A common stock will bear the risk of our future issuances reducing the market price of our Class A common stock and diluting the value of their stock holdings in us.

An aggregate of 13,500,000 shares of Class A common stock may be granted under the Summit Materials, Inc. 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Omnibus Incentive Plan”) of which 7,145,2088,625,745 have been granted as of December 29, 2018.28, 2019. In addition, as of December 29, 201828, 2019 we had outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of 100,037 shares of Class A common stock. Any Class A common stock that we issue, including under our Omnibus Incentive Plan or other equity incentive plans that we may adopt in the future, or upon exercise of outstanding options or warrants, or other securities convertible or exchangeable for Class A common stock would dilute the percentage ownership held by the investors of our Class A common stock and may adversely affect the market price of the shares of our Class A common stock.

Further, as a Delaware corporation, we are also subject to provisions of Delaware law, which may impairimpede or discourage a takeover attempt that our stockholders may find beneficial. These anti-takeover provisions and other provisions under Delaware law could discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of our company, including actions that our stockholders may deem advantageous, or negatively affect the trading price of our Class A common stock. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect directors of your choosing and to cause us to take other corporate actions you desire.

None.

Our headquarters are located in a 21,615 square foot office space, which we lease in Denver, Colorado, under a lease expiring on January 31, 2024.

As of December 29, 2018,28, 2019, we had 3.9 billion tons of proven and probable aggregates reserves serving our aggregates and cement businesses and operated over 400 sites and plants, to which we believe we have adequate road, barge and/or railroad access. By segment, our estimate of proven and probable reserves as of December 29, 201828, 2019 for which we have permits for extraction and that we consider to be recoverable aggregates of suitable quality for economic extraction are shown in the table below along with average annual production.

As of December 29, 2018,28, 2019, we operated the following production and distribution facilities:

    

The information set forth under “—Legal Proceedings” in Item 1, “Business,” is incorporated herein by reference.

The information concerning mine safety violations or other regulatory matters required by Section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 104 of Regulation S-K (17 CFR 229.104) is included in Exhibit 95.1 to this report.

Pursuant to General Instruction G(3) to Form 10-K, certain of the information regarding our executive officers required by Items 401(b) and (e) of Regulation S-K is hereby included in Part I of this report.

Summit Inc.’s Class A common stock began publicly trading on the NYSE under the symbol “SUM” on March 11, 2015. Prior to that time, there was no public market for our Class A common stock. Our Class B common stock is not publicly traded. As of January 30,February 3, 2019, there were five holders of record of our Class A common stock and 30 holders of record of our Class B common stock.

These stockholder figures do not include a substantially greater number of holders whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers and other financial institutions.

As of February 6, 2019, 100%All of the outstanding limited liability company interests of Summit LLC wereare held by Summit Materials Intermediate Holdings, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of Summit Inc. There is no established public trading market for limited liability company interests of Summit LLC.

If Summit Inc. uses future excess tax distributions to purchase additional LP Units, we anticipate that in order to maintain the relationship between the shares of Class A common stock and the LP Units, our board of directors may continue to declare stock dividends on the Class A common stock.

Summit Inc. has no current plans to pay cash dividends on its Class A common stock. The declaration, amount and payment of any future dividends on shares of Class A common stock is at the sole discretion of our board of directors and we may reduce or discontinue entirely the payment of any such dividends at any time. Our board of directors may take into account general and economic conditions, our financial condition and operating results, our available cash and current and anticipated cash needs, capital requirements, contractual, legal, tax and regulatory restrictions and implications on the payment of dividends by us to our stockholders or by our subsidiaries to us, and such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant.

Summit Inc. is a holding company and has no material assets other than its ownership of LP Units. Should we decide to pay a cash dividend on our Class A common stock in the future, we anticipate funding this cash dividend by causing Summit Holdings to make distributions to Summit Inc. in an amount sufficient to cover such dividend, whereupon the other holders of LP Units will also be entitled to receive distributions pro rata in accordance with the percentages of their respective limited partnership interests. Because Summit Inc. must pay taxes and make payments under the TRA, any amounts ultimately distributed as dividends to holders of our Class A common stock are expected to be less on a per share basis than the amounts distributed by Summit Holdings to its partners on a per LP Unit basis.

The agreements governing our senior secured credit facilities and the Senior Notes contain a number of covenants that restrict, subject to certain exceptions, Summit LLC’s ability to pay distributions to its parent company and ultimately to Summit Inc. See Note 8, Debt, to our consolidated financial statements.

Any financing arrangements that we enter into in the future may include restrictive covenants that limit our ability to pay dividends. In addition, Summit Holdings is generally prohibited under Delaware law from making a distribution to a limited partner to the extent that, at the time of the distribution, after giving effect to the distribution, liabilities of Summit Holdings (with certain exceptions) exceed the fair value of its assets.

Subsidiaries of Summit Holdings are generally subject to similar legal limitations on their ability to make distributions to Summit Holdings.

During the quarter and year ended December 29, 2018,28, 2019, we did not purchase any of our equity securities that are registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

There were no unregistered sales of equity securities which have not been previously disclosed in a quarterly report on Form 10-Q or a current report on Form 8-K during the year ended December 29, 2018.28, 2019.

The following selected financial data should be read together with the more detailed information contained in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this report. Summit Holdings, which commenced operations on August 26, 2009, is considered Summit Inc.’s predecessor for accounting purposes, and its consolidated financial statements are Summit Inc.’s historical financial statements. Under U.S. GAAP, Summit Holdings meets the definition of a variable interest entity.

The following tables set forth consolidated financial data for the five most recent years, derived from Summit Inc.’s and Summit LLC’s audited consolidated financial statements. The selected statements of operations data for the years ended December 28, 2019, December 29, 2018 and December 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and the selected balance sheet data as of December 29, 201828, 2019 and December 30, 201729, 2018 are derived from audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report. The selected statements of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016 and December 27, 2014 and the selected balance sheet data as of December 30, 2017, December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016 and December 27, 2014 are derived from audited consolidated financial statements not included in this report.

Our fiscal year is based on a 52-53 week year with each quarter consisting of 13 weeks ending on a Saturday. The 53-week year occurs approximately once every seven years, including 2015.last occurred in 2015 and will occur in 2020. The additional week in the 53-week year was included in the fourth quarter. Historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected in the future.

We are one of the fastest growing construction materials companies in the United States, with a 74%55% increase in revenue between the year ended December 29, 2014January 2, 2016 (the year of our initial public offering) and the year ended December 29, 2018.28, 2019. Within our markets, we offer customers a single-source provider for construction materials and related downstream products through our vertical integration. Our materials include aggregates, which we supply across the United States, and in British Columbia, Canada, and cement, which we supply to surrounding states along the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Louisiana. In addition to supplying aggregates to customers, we use a portion of our materials internally to produce ready-mix concrete and asphalt paving mix, which may be sold externally or used in our paving and related services businesses. Our vertical integration creates opportunities to increase aggregates volumes, optimize margin at each stage of production and provide customers with efficiency gains, convenience and reliability, which we believe gives us a competitive advantage. 

Since our inception in 2009, we have completed dozens of acquisitions, which are organized into 1211 operating companies that make up our three distinct operating segments—West, East and Cement. We operate in 23 U.S. states and in British Columbia, Canada and currently have assets in 22 U.S. states and British Columbia, Canada. The map below illustrates our geographic footprint:

The U.S. construction materials industry is composed of four primary sectors: aggregates; cement; ready-mix concrete; and asphalt paving mix. Each of these materials is widely used in most forms of construction activity. Participants in these sectors typically range from small, privately-held companies focused on a single material, product or market to publicly traded multinational corporations that offer a wide array of construction materials and services. Competition is constrained in part by the distance materials can be transported efficiently, resulting in predominantly local or regional operations. Due to the lack of product differentiation, competition for all of our products is predominantly based on price and, to a lesser extent, quality of products and service. As a result, the prices we charge our customers are not likely to be materially different from the prices charged by other producers in the same markets. Accordingly, our profitability is generally dependent on the level of demand for our materials and products and our ability to control operating costs.

Our revenue is derived from multiple end-use markets including public infrastructure construction and private residential and nonresidential construction. Public infrastructure includes spending by federal, state, provincial and local governments for roads, highways, bridges, airports and other infrastructure projects. Public infrastructure projects have

Transportation infrastructure projects, driven by both federal and state funding programs, represent a significant share of the U.S. construction materials market. Federal funds are allocated to the states, which are required to match a portion of the federal funds they receive. Federal highway spending uses funds predominantly from the Federal Highway Trust Fund, which derives its revenue from taxes on diesel fuel, gasoline and other user fees. The dependability of federal funding allows the state departments of transportation to plan for their long term highway construction and maintenance needs. Funding for the existing federal transportation funding program extends through 2020. With the nation’s infrastructure aging, there is increased demand by states and municipalities for long-term federal funding to support the construction of new roads, highways and bridges in addition to the maintainingmaintenance of the existing infrastructure.

In addition to federal funding, state, county and local agencies provide highway construction and maintenance funding. Our four largest states by revenue, Texas, Kansas, Utah Kansas and Missouri, represented approximately 23%22%, 13%, 12% and 8%10%, respectively, of our total revenue in 2018.2019. The following is a summary of key funding initiatives in those states:

The table below sets forth additional details regarding our four key states, including growth rates as compared to the U.S. as a whole:

Use and consumption of our products fluctuate due to seasonality. Nearly all of the products used by us, and by our customers, in the private construction andor public infrastructure industries are used outdoors. Our highway operations and production and distribution facilities are also located outdoors. Therefore, seasonal changes and other weather-related conditions, in particular extended rainy and cold weather in the spring and fall and major weather events, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical storms, and heavy snows and flooding, can adversely affect our business and operations through a decline in

The principal factors in evaluating our financial condition and operating results for the year ended December 29, 201828, 2019 are:

We derive our revenue predominantly by selling construction materials and products and providing paving and related services. Construction materials consist of aggregates and cement. Products consist of related downstream products, including ready-mix concrete, asphalt paving mix and concrete products. Paving and related services that we provide are primarily asphalt paving services.

Revenue derived from the sale of construction materials are recognized when risks associated with ownership have passed to unaffiliated customers. Typically this occurs when products are shipped. Product revenue generally includes sales of aggregates, cement and related downstream products and other materials to customers, net of discounts or allowances and taxes, if any.

Revenue derived from paving and related services are recognized on the percentage-of-completion basis, measured by the cost incurred to date compared to estimated total cost of each project. This method is used because management considers cost incurred to be the best available measure of progress on these contracts. Due to the inherent uncertainties in estimating costs, it is at least reasonably possible that the estimates used will change over the life of the contract.

The key components of our operating costs and expenses consist of the following:

Cost of revenue consists of all production and delivery costs and primarily includes labor, repair and maintenance, utilities, raw materials, fuel, transportation, subcontractor costs, royalties and other direct costs incurred in the production and delivery of our products and services. Our cost of revenue is directly affected by fluctuations in commodity energy prices, primarily diesel fuel, liquid asphalt and other petroleum-based resources. As a result, our operating profit margins can be significantly affected by changes in the underlying cost of certain raw materials if they are not recovered through corresponding changes in revenue. We attempt to limit our exposure to changes in commodity energy prices by entering into forward purchase

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and personnel costs, including stock-based compensation charges, for our sales and marketing, administration, finance and accounting, legal, information systems, human resources and certain managerial employees. Additional expenses include audit, consulting and professional fees, travel, insurance, rental costs, property taxes and other corporate and overhead expenses.

Our business is capital intensive. We carry property, plant and equipment on our balance sheet at cost, net of applicable depreciation, depletion and amortization. Depreciation on property, plant and equipment is computed on a straight-line basis or based on the economic usage over the estimated useful life of the asset. The general range of depreciable lives by category, excluding mineral reserves, which are depleted based on the units of production method on a site-by-site basis, is as follows:

Amortization expense is the periodic expense related to leasehold improvements and intangible assets. The intangible assets were recognized with certain acquisitions and are generally amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of the life of the underlying asset or the remaining lease term.

Accretion expense is the periodic expense recorded for the accrued mining reclamation liabilities and landfill closure and post-closure liabilities using the effective interest method.

Transaction costs consist primarily of third party accounting, legal, valuation and financial advisory fees incurred in connection with potential acquisitions.

The following discussion of our results of operations is focused on the key financial measures we use to evaluate the performance of our business from both a consolidated and operating segment perspective. Operating income and margins are discussed in terms of changes in volume, pricing and mix of revenue source (i.e., type of product sales or service revenue). We focus on operating margin, which we define as operating income as a percentage of net revenue, as a key metric when assessing the performance of the business, as we believe that analyzing changes in costs in relation to changes in revenue provides more meaningful insight into the results of operations than examining costs in isolation.

Operating income (loss) reflects our profit from continuing operations after taking into consideration cost of revenue, general and administrative expenses, depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion and transaction costs. Cost of revenue generally increases ratably with revenue, as labor, transportation costs and subcontractor costs are recorded in cost of revenue. As a result ofIn periods where our revenue growth occurringoccurs primarily through acquisitions, general and administrative expenses and depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion have historically grown ratably with revenue. However, as organic volumes increase, we expect these costs, as a percentage of revenue, to decrease. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenue vary throughout the year due to the seasonality of our business. Our transaction costs fluctuate with the level acquisition activity each year.

The table below includes revenue and operating income (loss) by segment for the periods indicated. Operating income (loss) by segment is computed as earnings before interest, taxes and other income / expense.

The table below sets forth our consolidated results of operations for the periods indicated: