Item 1A. Risk Factors

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. In addition to the other information contained in this Registration Statement on Form 10-K, prospective investors should carefully consider the following risks before investing in our securities. If any of the following risks actually occur, as well as other risks not currently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial, our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. As a result, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and investors may lose all or part of their investment in our common stock. The risks discussed below also include forward-looking statements, and our actual results may differ substantially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this Form 10-K. In assessing the risks below, you should also refer to the other information contained in this Form 10-K, including the financial statements and the related notes, before deciding to purchase any of our securities.

Risk Related to Covid 19

Our business and future operations may be adversely affected by epidemics and pandemics, such as the COVID-19 outbreak.

We may face risks related to health epidemics and pandemics or other outbreaks of communicable diseases, which could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect general commercial activity and the economies and financial markets of the world as a whole. For example, the outbreak of COVID-19, which originated in China, was declared by the World Health Organization to be a “pandemic,” and spread across the globe. A health epidemic or pandemic or other outbreak of communicable diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, poses the risk that we, or our current and potential business partners may be disrupted or prevented from conducting business activities for certain periods of time, the durations of which are uncertain, and may otherwise experience significant impairments of business activities, including due to operational shutdowns or suspensions that may be requested or mandated by national or local governmental authorities or self-imposed by us, our users or other business partners. While it is not possible at this time to estimate the full impact that COVID-19 could have on our business, potential users, or other potential business partners, the continued spread of COVID-19, the measures taken by the local and federal government, actions taken to protect employees, and the impact of the pandemic on various business activities could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. COVID-19 has not recently had any material impact on our operations, supply chain, liquidity or capital resources. During the lockdowns we however saw significant shipping delays, consumer orders on hold due to budgetary restrictions as well as a slow-down in our planned acquisitions due to flight restrictions limiting on site due diligence. The company has as a mitigant to future COVID-19 outbreaks increased its number of suppliers of raw materials to reduce the risk of production capabilities and order back-logs.

Risks Relating to Macro Conditions and Our Financial Condition

Our ability to generate the significant amount of cash needed to service our debt obligations and our ability to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness or obtain additional financing depends on many factors, many of which may be beyond our control.

We normally grant our customers 30–90-day payment terms after credit sales, depending on their trading history and specific tender requirements (if applicable). However, in the fiscal year 2021, some of our distributors were affected by the COVID-19 outbreak which caused delays in their payment. In addition, some of our customers tend to require longer payment terms due to their longer payment processing procedures. Even though we believe that they are unlikely to default because of our long-term business relationships with them and our belief that the collectability risk is low based on our historical experience and collection history with them, there can be no assurances that these receivables will be collected.

Our ability to make scheduled payments on, or to refinance our obligations under, our debt, will depend on our financial and operating performance, which, in turn, will be subject to prevailing economic and competitive conditions and to the financial and business factors, many of which may be beyond our control. We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations, that currently anticipated business opportunities will be realized on schedule or at all, or that future borrowings will be available to us in amounts sufficient to enable us to service our indebtedness and any amounts borrowed under future credit facilities, or to fund our other liquidity needs.

We will use cash to pay the principal and interest on our debt. These payments limit funds otherwise available for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, collaborations, and other purposes. As a result of these obligations, our current liabilities may exceed our current assets. We may need to take on additional debt as we expand in our industry, which could increase our ratio of debt to equity. The need to service our debt may limit funds available for other purposes and our inability to service debt in the future could lead to acceleration of our debt and foreclosure on assets.

We cannot assure that we will be able to refinance any of our indebtedness or obtain additional financing as well as prevailing market conditions. As a result, we could face liquidity problems and might be required to dispose of material assets or operations to meet our indebtedness service and other obligations.

Our projections are subject to significant risks, assumptions, estimates and uncertainties, including assumptions regarding future legislation and changes in regulations of the jurisdictions in which we operate, or seek to operate, our business. As a result, our projected revenues, market share, expenses and profitability may differ materially from our expectations.

We operate in a rapidly evolving and highly competitive industry and our projections are subject to the risks and assumptions made by management with respect to the respective industry. Operating results are difficult to forecast because they generally depend on our assessment of factors that are inherently beyond our control and impossible to predict with certainty, such as the timing of adoption of future legislation and regulations by different jurisdictions. Furthermore, if we invest in the development of new products or distribution channels that do not achieve commercial success, whether because of competition or otherwise, we may not recover the often material “up front” costs of developing and marketing those products and distribution channels or recover the opportunity cost of diverting management and financial resources away from other products or distribution channels.

Additionally, our business may be affected by reductions in customer acquisition, customer persistency and customer spending as a result of numerous factors which may be difficult to predict. This may result in decreased revenue levels, and we may be unable to adopt timely measures to compensate for any unexpected shortfall in income. Our profitability projections make numerous assumptions about the expected future levels of various expense items. Historically most of these expense items have been relatively stable or predictable either in absolute terms or in relation to revenue but there is no certainty that such stability or predictability will continue into the future. These inabilities could cause our operating results in a given period to be higher or lower than expected. If actual results differ from our estimates, analysts may negatively react and our share price could be adversely impacted.

If we are unable to successfully identify, complete and integrate acquisitions, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

Acquisitions have been and will continue to be a significant component of our growth strategy, including the recent acquisition of ERT. We seek to identify and complete acquisitions and may continue to make strategic acquisitions. Our previous or future acquisitions may not be successful or may not generate the financial benefits that we expected to achieve at the time of acquisition. In addition, there can be no assurance that we will be able to locate suitable acquisition candidates in the future or acquire them on acceptable terms or, because of competition in the marketplace and limitations imposed by the agreements governing our indebtedness or the availability of capital, that we will be able to finance future acquisitions. We may be unable to identify, negotiate, and complete suitable acquisition opportunities on reasonable terms.

Acquisitions involve special risks, including, without limitation, the potential assumption of unanticipated liabilities and contingencies, difficulty in assimilating the operations and personnel of the acquired businesses, disruption of our existing business, dissipation of our limited management resources and impairment of relationships with employees and customers of the acquired business as a result of changes in ownership.

While we believe that strategic acquisitions can improve our competitiveness and profitability, these activities could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results. We may incur significant costs such as transaction fees, professional service fees and other costs related to future acquisitions. We may also incur integration costs following the completion of any such acquisitions as we integrate the acquired business with the rest of our Company. Although we expect that the realization of efficiencies related to the integration of any acquired businesses will offset the incremental transaction and acquisition-related costs over time, this net financial benefit may not be achieved in the near term, or at all.

If we are unable to successfully identify, complete and integrate acquisitions, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

Acquisitions have been and will continue to be a significant component of our growth strategy. We seek to identify and complete acquisitions and may continue to make strategic acquisitions. Our previous or future acquisitions may not be successful or may not generate the financial benefits that we expected to achieve at the time of acquisition. In addition, there can be no assurance that we will be able to locate suitable acquisition candidates in the future or acquire them on acceptable terms or, because of competition in the marketplace and limitations imposed by the agreements governing our indebtedness or the availability of capital, that we will be able to finance future acquisitions. Acquisitions involve special risks, including, without limitation, the potential assumption of unanticipated liabilities and contingencies, difficulty in assimilating the operations and personnel of the acquired businesses, disruption of our existing business, dissipation of our limited management resources and impairment of relationships with employees and customers of the acquired business as a result of changes in ownership. While we believe that strategic acquisitions can improve our competitiveness and profitability, these activities could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results. We may incur significant costs such as transaction fees, professional service fees and other costs related to future acquisitions. We may also incur integration costs following the completion of any such acquisitions as we integrate the acquired business with the rest of our Company. Although we expect that the realization of efficiencies related to the integration of any acquired businesses will offset the incremental transaction and acquisition-related costs over time, this net financial benefit may not be achieved in the near term, or at all.

Inability to Continue Developing New Products.

Our ability to continue to grow organically is tied in large part to our ability to continue to develop new products. A failure to continue to develop and deliver new, innovative, and competitive products to the market could limit sales growth and negatively impact our Company and our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

Risks associated with climate change and other environmental impacts, and increased focus and evolving views of our customers, shareholders, and other stakeholders on climate change issues, could negatively affect our business and operations.

The effects of climate change create short and long-term financial risks to our business, both in the U.S. and globally. We have significant operations located in regions that have been, and may in the future be, exposed to significant weather events and other natural disasters. Climate related changes can increase variability in or otherwise impact natural disasters, including weather patterns, with the potential for increased frequency and severity of significant weather events (e.g., flooding, hurricanes, and tropical storms), natural hazards (e.g., increased wildfire risk), rising mean temperature and sea levels, and long-term changes in precipitation patterns (e.g., drought, desertification, and/or poor water quality). We expect climate change could affect our facilities, operations, employees, and communities in the future, particularly at facilities in coastal areas and areas prone to extreme weather events and water scarcity. Our suppliers are also subject to natural disasters that could affect their ability to deliver or perform under our contracts, including as a result of disruptions to their workforce and critical infrastructure. Disruptions also impact the availability and cost of materials needed for manufacturing and could increase insurance and other operating costs.

Increased worldwide focus on climate change has led to legislative and regulatory efforts to combat both potential causes and adverse impacts of climate change, including regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. New or more stringent laws and regulations related to greenhouse gas emissions and other climate change related concerns may adversely affect us, our suppliers, and our customers. Some of our facilities are, for example, engaged in manufacturing processes that produce greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, or rely on products from others that do so. We have worked for years to reduce our reliance on fossil-based energy sources, to decrease our greenhouse gas emissions, to reduce our consumption of water and production of waste, and to ensure our compliance with environmental regulations where we operate, enhancing our record of environmental sustainability. However, new, and evolving laws and regulations could mandate different or more restrictive standards, could require capital investments to transition to low carbon technologies, could adversely impact our ongoing operations, and could require changes on a more accelerated time frame. Our suppliers may face similar challenges and incur additional compliance costs that are passed on to us. These direct and indirect costs may adversely impact our results

We may be adversely affected by the effects of inflation.

Inflation in wages, materials, parts, equipment, and other costs has the potential to adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and financial position by increasing our overall cost structure, particularly if we are unable to achieve commensurate increases in the prices, we charge our customers for our products and services. In addition, the existence of inflation in the economy has the potential to result in higher interest rates, which could result in higher borrowing costs, supply shortages, increased costs of labor, weakening exchange rates and other similar effects. The Company has currently experienced inflationary pressures on its supply chain due to increased shipping costs, increased energy prices for manufacture of our commercial products as well as increased prices from suppliers of raw materials. We have so far been able to offset inflationary pressure to consumers but it cannot be guaranteed that that our results of operations will not be adversely affected by inflation in the future and could reduce sales and/or operating margins, and overall financial performance.

We are Dependent on the Availability of Raw Materials, Parts and Components Used in our Products.

While the Company manufactures certain parts and components used in its products, the Company also requires substantial amounts of raw materials and purchases certain parts and components from suppliers. The availability of and prices for raw materials, parts and components may be subject to curtailment or change due to, among other things, suppliers’ allocations to other purchasers, interruptions in production by suppliers, including due to geopolitical or civil unrest, unfavorable economic or industry conditions, labor disruptions, supply chain disruptions, catastrophic weather events, natural disasters, the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness, changes in exchange rates and prevailing price levels. Any change in the supply of, or price for, these raw materials or parts and components could materially affect the Company and its financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

Using the recent example of our acquisition, Bull Head Products Inc., the demand for new trucks has not declined during Covid-19, but instead there was a delay in the delivery of new Pickup trucks due to a shortage of electronic chips. Historically, 68% of the truck beds built by Bull Head Products are for installation of a truck bed on a new pickup truck. There has not been a significant shift to installation on older trucks, but instead, the customers wait for confirmation of the delivery of new trucks before ordering a new truck bed. Bull Head Products Inc. also has order backlogs of over 9 months due to customers waiting for their new trucks to be delivered. One-third of our current enquiries are impacted by a delay in delivery of new pick-up trucks, which presents a risk to Bull Head Products Inc.

Increases in the price of commodities could impact the cost or price of our products, which could impact our ability to sustain and grow earnings.

Our manufacturing processes consume significant amounts of raw materials, the costs of which are subject to worldwide supply and demand factors, as well as other factors beyond our control. Raw material price fluctuations may adversely affect our results. We purchase, directly and indirectly through component purchases, significant amounts of plastic, aluminum, steel, and other raw materials. In the past raw material prices have experienced volatility which has been unforeseen and unexpected. Commodity pricing has fluctuated over the past few years and may continue to do so in the future. Such fluctuations could have a material effect on our results of operations, balance sheets and cash flows and impact the comparability of our results between financial periods.

We May be Subject to Loss in Market Share and Market Acceptance as a Result of Performance Failures, Manufacturing Errors, Delays or Shortages.

There is a risk that for unforeseen reasons we may be required to repair or replace products in use or to reimburse customers for products that fail to work or meet strict performance criteria. To date, we have experienced some product failures related to electronic and mechanical components within equipment and vehicles. These are either repaired under warranty or at cost to the customer or under a maintenance agreement.

Other disruptions in the supply chain process or product sales and fulfilment systems for any reason, including equipment malfunction, failure to follow specific protocols and procedures, supplier facility shut-downs, defective raw materials, wars and conflict, natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes or wildfires, property damage from riots, and other environmental factors and the impact of epidemics or pandemics, such as Covid-19, and actions by businesses, communities and governments in response, could lead to launch delays, product shortage, unanticipated costs, lost revenues and damage to our reputation.

We have taken steps to limit remedies for product failure to the repair or replacement of malfunctioning or non-compliant products or services, and also attempt to exclude or minimize exposure to product and related liabilities by including in our standard agreements warranty disclaimers and disclaimers for consequential and related damages as well as limitations on our aggregate liability. From time to time, in certain sales transactions, we may negotiate liability provisions that vary from such standard forms. There is a risk that our contractual provisions may not adequately minimize our product and related liabilities or that such provisions may be unenforceable. We intend to carry product liability insurance, but coverage we secure may not be adequate to cover potential claims. Moreover, to the extent we have to repair, reimburse, or expend funds to cover customer service issues, our results of operations will be negatively affected.

We Will Rely in Part Upon Sales Reps, Retailers and Distribution Partners to Distribute our Products, and We May Be Adversely Affected if Those Parties do not Actively Promote our Products or Pursue Customers Who Would Have a Potential Demand for our Products.

We estimate that a significant portion of our revenue will come from sales to partners through sales reps, retailers, distributors, and resellers. Some of these relationships have not been formalized in detailed contracts and may be subject to termination at any time. Even where these relationships are formalized in a detailed contract, the agreements are often terminable with little or no notice and subject to periodic amendment. We cannot control the amount and timing of resources that our partners devote to activities on our behalf.

We intend to continue to seek strategic relationships to distribute, license and sell certain of our products. We, however, may not be able to negotiate acceptable relationships in the future and cannot predict whether current or future relationships will be successful.

The Markets the Company operates in are Highly Competitive which Could Reduce Sales and Operating Margins.

Most of the Company’s products are sold in competitive markets. Maintaining and improving a competitive position will require continued investment in manufacturing, engineering, quality standards, marketing, customer service and support and distribution networks. The Company may not be successful in maintaining its competitive position. The Company’s competitors may develop products and methods that are more efficient or may adapt quicker to new technologies or evolving customer requirements. The Company may not be able to compete successfully with existing competitors or with new competitors. Pricing pressures may require the Company to adjust the prices of products to stay competitive. Failure to continue competing successfully could reduce sales, operating margins, and overall financial performance.

The Company’s Business Operations May Be Adversely Affected by Information Systems Interruptions or Cybersecurity Intrusions.

The Company depends on various information technologies to administer, store, and support multiple business activities. If these systems are damaged, cease to function properly or are subject to cyber-security attacks, such as those involving unauthorized access, malicious software and/or other intrusions, the Company could experience production downtimes, operational delays, other detrimental impacts on operations or the ability to provide products and services to its customers, the compromising of confidential or otherwise protected information, destruction or corruption of data, security breaches, other manipulation or improper use of the Company’s systems or networks, financial losses from remedial actions, loss of business or potential liability, penalties, fines and/or damage to the Company’s reputation. While the Company attempts to mitigate these risks by employing a number of measures, including having hired an IT manager with cyber security expertise, who reports directly to our management team, employee training, technical security controls and maintenance of backup and protective systems, the Company’s systems, networks, products, and services remain potentially vulnerable to known or unknown threats, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company and its financial condition or results of operations. Further, given the unpredictability, nature, and scope of cyber-security attacks, it is possible that potential vulnerabilities could go undetected for an extended period. We have currently not been subject to material cybersecurity breaches in our supply chain, software, or services used in our products, services, or business. A severe future cybersecurity incident in our supply chain could however reduce sales, operating margins, and overall financial performance.

With the strategy establishing and expanding our defense subsidiary, which may become involved in defense contracting, we may face increased cyber and security threats that can range from attacks common to most industries, but could have even greater financial or reputational impact, to advanced persistent threats on our defense programs, which could involve information that is considered a matter of national security.

We are dependent on the availability of raw materials, parts, and components used in our products.

While the Company manufactures certain parts and components used in its products, the Company also requires substantial amounts of raw materials and purchases certain parts and components from suppliers. The availability of and prices for raw materials, parts and components may be subject to curtailment or change due to, among other things, suppliers’ allocations to other purchasers, interruptions in production by suppliers, including due to geopolitical or civil unrest, unfavorable economic or industry conditions, labor disruptions, supply chain disruptions, catastrophic weather events, natural disasters, the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness, changes in exchange rates and prevailing price levels. Any change in the supply of, or price for, these raw materials or parts and components could materially affect the Company and its financial condition, results of operations and cash flow. For instance, the war in Ukraine affected the geopolitical stability in Serbia. Consequently, the company postponed the production of electric vehicles in Serbia temporarily until after the Serbian election and kept our manufacturing of E-Raptor range of commercial electric Utility Vehicles in the UAE to mitigate the risk for operational and supply chain disruptions. ILUS commenced the production after the Serbian election and expects the first E-Raptor 6x6 models to roll off the Kragujevac production line in 2024. We cannot assure in the future that such incidents can significantly affect our supply chain and impact our financial and operational outlook.

Our long-term success depends, in part, on our ability to operate and expand internationally, and our business is susceptible to risks associated with international operations.

Currently, we maintain operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Serbia and the United Arab Emirates, and plan to continue our efforts to expand globally, in jurisdictions where we do not currently operate including. The Company expects international operations and export sales to continue to constitute the majority of our sales and assets in the foreseeable future.

Managing a global organization is difficult, time consuming and expensive, and any international expansion efforts that we undertake may not be profitable in the near or long term. Although we have operating experience in many foreign jurisdictions, we must still continue to make significant investments to build our international operations. The Company’s sales from international operations and sales from export are both subject in varying degrees to risks inherent in doing business outside the U.S. These risks include the following:

Entry into certain transactions with foreign entities now or in the future may be subject to government regulations, including review related to foreign direct investment by U.S. or foreign government entities. If a transaction with a foreign entity is subject to regulatory review, such regulatory review might limit our ability to enter into the desired strategic alliance and thus our ability to carry out our long-term business strategy.

Operating in international markets also requires significant management attention and financial resources. The investment and additional resources required to establish operations and manage growth in other countries may not produce desired levels of revenue or profitability and could instead result in increased costs without a corresponding benefit. We cannot guarantee that our international operations or expansion efforts will be successful.

Any of these events as well as related events not aforementioned, could have a materially adverse impact on the Company and its operations.

Uncertainty Related to Environmental Regulation and Industry Standards, as well as Physical Risks of Climate Change, Could Impact the Company’s Results of Operations and Financial Position.

Increased public awareness and concern regarding environmental risks, including global climate change, may result in more international, regional and/or federal requirements or industry standards to reduce or mitigate global warming and other environmental risks. New climate change laws and regulations could require the Company to change its manufacturing processes or obtain substitute materials that may cost more or be less available for its manufacturing operations. Various jurisdictions in which the Company does business have implemented, or in the future could implement or amend, restrictions on emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases, limitations or restrictions on water use, the production of single use plastics, regulations on energy management and waste management and other climate change-based rules and regulations, which may increase the Company’s expenses and adversely affect its operating results. In addition, the physical risks of climate change may impact the availability and cost of materials, sources and supply of energy, product demand and manufacturing and could increase insurance and other operating costs. The expected future increased worldwide regulatory activity relating to climate change could expand the nature, scope, and complexity of matters that the Company is required to control, assess, and report. If environmental laws or regulations or industry standards are either changed or adopted and impose significant operational restrictions and compliance requirements upon the Company, its suppliers, its customers or its products, or the Company’s operations are disrupted due to physical impacts of climate change on the Company, its customers or its suppliers, the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely impacted.

Significant Movements in Foreign Currency Exchange Rates May Harm the Company’s Financial Results.

The Company is exposed to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, particularly with respect to the Euro, British Pound, Indian Rupee, UAE Dirham and Serbian Dinar. Any significant change in the value of the currencies of the countries in which the Company does business against the U.S. Dollar could affect the Company’s ability to sell products competitively and control its cost structure, which could have a material adverse effect on results of operations.

A Significant or Sustained Decline in Commodity Prices Could Negatively Impact the Levels of Expenditures by Certain of the Company’s Customers.

Demand for the Company’s products depends, in part, on the level of new and planned expenditures by certain of its customers. The level of expenditures by the Company’s customers is dependent on, among other factors, general economic conditions, availability of credit, economic conditions within their respective industries and expectations of future market behavior. The Company’s profitability may be adversely affected during any periods of unexpected or rapid increases in interest rates and volatility in commodity prices, including oil, can negatively affect the level of these activities and especially impact our Industrial & Manufacturing division and can result in postponement of capital spending decisions or the delay or cancellation of existing orders. The ability of the Company’s customers to finance capital investment and maintenance may also be affected by the conditions in their industries. Reduced demand for the Company’s products could result in the delay or cancellation of existing orders or lead to excess manufacturing capacity, which unfavorably impacts the absorption of fixed manufacturing costs. This reduced demand could have a material adverse effect on the Company and its financial condition and results of operations.

We are dependent on financing for the continuation of our operations.

It can at times be difficult to predict our capital needs on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. Our future is dependent upon our ability to obtain profitable operations or financing. We reserve the right to seek additional funds through private placements of our common stock and/or through debt financing. We do not have financing in place at this time for all future planned acquisitions. We may not have access to financing or on terms that are acceptable to us. Any lack of funds from operations or fundraisings for any shortage could be detrimental to our ability to continue operations and negatively impact us and our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

Risks Related to Legal, Accounting and Regulatory Matters

The Sale of our Products Involves Potential Product Liability and Related Risks that Could Expose us to Significant Insurance and Loss Expenses.

We face an inherent risk of exposure to product liability claims if the use of our products results in, or is believed to have resulted in, illness or injury. Any product liability claim may increase our costs and adversely affect our revenue and operating income. Moreover, liability claims arising from a serious adverse event may increase our costs through higher insurance premiums and deductibles for our insurances we have with Firebug Group, Georgia Fire and Bull Head Products and may make it more difficult to secure adequate insurance coverage in the future. In addition, our product liability insurance may fail to cover future product liability claims, which, if adversely determined, could subject us to substantial monetary damages. Georgia Fire, Bull Head Products and Firebug all have General Liability Cover.

Failure by us to Maintain the Proprietary Nature of our Technology, Intellectual Property and Manufacturing Processes Could Have a Material Adverse Effect on our Business, Operating Results, Financial Condition, Stock Price, and on our Ability to Compete Effectively.

We principally rely upon patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and contract law to establish and protect our proprietary rights. There is a risk that claims allowed on any patent licenses or trademarks we hold may not be broad enough to protect our technology. In addition, our patent licenses or trademarks may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented and we cannot be certain that the rights granted thereunder will provide competitive advantages to us. Moreover, any current or future issued or licensed patents, or trademarks, or currently existing or future developed trade secrets or know-how may not afford sufficient protection against competitors with similar technologies or processes, and the possibility exists that certain of our already issued patents or trademarks may infringe upon third party patents or trademarks or be designed around by others. In addition, there is a risk that others may independently develop proprietary technologies and processes, which are the same as, substantially equivalent, or superior to ours, or become available in the market at a lower price.

In addition, foreign laws treat the protection of proprietary rights differently from laws in the United States and may not protect our proprietary rights to the same extent as U.S. laws. The failure of foreign laws or judicial systems to adequately protect our proprietary rights or intellectual property, including intellectual property developed on our behalf by foreign contractors or subcontractors may have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, financial results, and stock price.

There is a risk that we have infringed or in the future will infringe patents or trademarks owned by others, that we will need to acquire licenses under patents or trademarks belonging to others for technology potentially useful or necessary to us, and that licenses will not be available to us on acceptable terms, if at all.

We may have to litigate to enforce our patents or trademarks or to determine the scope and validity of other parties’ proprietary rights. Litigation could be very costly and divert management’s attention. An adverse outcome in any litigation may have a severe negative effect on our financial results and stock price. To determine the priority of inventions, we may have to participate in interference proceedings declared by the United States Patent and Trademark Office or oppositions in foreign patent and trademark offices, which could result in substantial cost and limitations on the scope or validity of our patents or trademarks.

We also rely on trade secrets and proprietary know-how, which we seek to protect by confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, service providers and third parties. There is a risk that these agreements may be breached, and that the remedies available to us may not be adequate. In addition, our trade secrets and proprietary know-how may otherwise become known to or be independently discovered by others.

Compliance with Changing Regulation of Corporate Governance and Public Disclosure May Result in Additional Expenses.

Changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and new SEC regulations, are creating uncertainty for companies such as ours. These new or changed laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies, which could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We are committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance and public disclosure. As a result, we intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new or changed laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to practice, our reputation may be harmed.

If we Fail to Comply with the Rules under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act Related to Accounting Controls and Procedures, or if Material Weaknesses or Other Deficiencies are Discovered in our Internal Accounting Procedures, our Stock Price Could Decline Significantly.

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting. We are in the process of documenting and testing our internal control procedures, and we may identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and other deficiencies. If material weaknesses and deficiencies are detected, it could cause investors to lose confidence in our Company and result in a decline in our stock price and consequently affect our financial condition. In addition, if we fail to achieve and maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, we may not be able to ensure that we can conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Moreover, effective internal controls, particularly those related to revenue recognition, are necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and are important to helping prevent financial fraud. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our business and operating results could be harmed, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, and the trading price of our Common Stock could drop significantly. In addition, we cannot be certain that additional material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal controls will not be discovered in the future.

Failure To Comply with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act or Other Applicable Anti-bribery Laws Could Have an Adverse Effect on the Company.

The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Recent years have seen a substantial increase in anti-bribery law enforcement activity with more frequent and aggressive investigations and enforcement proceedings by both the Department of Justice and the SEC, increased enforcement activity by non-U.S. regulators and increases in criminal and civil proceedings brought against companies and individuals. The Company’s policies mandate compliance with all anti-bribery laws. However, the Company operates in certain countries that are recognized as having governmental and commercial corruption. The Company’s internal control policies and procedures may not always protect it from reckless or criminal acts committed by employees or third-party intermediaries. Violations of these anti-bribery laws may result in criminal or civil sanctions, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company and its financial condition and results of operations.

Changes in Tax laws or Exposure to Additional Income Tax Liabilities Could have a Material Impact on our Company, the Results of Operations, Financial Conditions and Cash Flows.

We are subject to income taxes, as well as non-income-based taxes in the jurisdictions in which we operate, as well as jurisdictions such as the United States, in which we intend to have operations. The tax laws in these could change on a prospective or retroactive basis, and any such changes could adversely affect us and our effective tax rate.

Taxation regulation in territories around the world can also change very quickly, which may mean that all the implications for businesses may not have been fully thought through by the regulating authorities before final guidelines and laws are issued. Furthermore, any changes made by tax authorities, together with other legislative changes, to the mandatory sharing of company information (financial and operational) with tax authorities on both a local and global basis, could lead to disagreements between jurisdictions with respect to the proper allocation of profits between such jurisdictions. We therefore continuously monitor changes to tax regulation and double tax treaties between the territories in which we operate. We also maintain a comprehensive transfer pricing policy to govern the flow of funds between various tax territories.

We are further subject to ongoing tax audits in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. We regularly assess the likely outcomes of these audits in order to determine the appropriateness of our tax provisions. However, there can be no assurance that we will accurately predict the outcomes of these audits, which could have a material impact on the business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

While we have recorded reserves for potential payments to various tax authorities related to uncertain tax positions, the calculation of such tax liabilities involves the application of complex tax regulations in many jurisdictions. Therefore, any dispute with a tax authority may result in payment that is significantly different from our estimates. If the payment proves to be less than the recorded reserves, the reversal of the liabilities would generally result in tax benefits being recognized in the period when we determine the liabilities to be no longer necessary. Conversely, if the payment proves to be more than the reserves, we could incur additional charges, and these could have a materially adverse effect on the business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Laws and Regulations Governing International Business Operations Could Adversely Impact Our Company.

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), and the Bureau of Industry and Security at the US Department of Commerce (“BIS”) administer certain laws and regulations that restrict US persons and, in some instances, non-US persons, in conducting activities, transacting business with, or making investments in certain countries, governments, entities and individuals subject to US economic sanctions.

Our international operations subject us to these laws and regulations, which are complex, restrict business dealings with certain countries, governments, entities, and individuals, and are constantly changing. Further restrictions may be enacted, amended, enforced, or interpreted in a manner that materially impacts our operations. From time to time, certain subsidiaries have limited business dealings in countries subject to comprehensive sanctions.

Certain of our subsidiaries sell products, and may provide related services, to distributors and other purchasing bodies in such countries. These business dealings represent an insignificant amount of our consolidated revenues and income but expose us to a heightened risk of violating applicable sanctions regulations. Violations of these regulations are punishable by civil penalties, including fines, denial of export privileges, injunctions, asset seizures, debarment from government contracts and revocations or restrictions of licenses, as well as criminal fines and imprisonment.

We have established policies and procedures designed to assist with compliance with such laws and regulations. However, there can be no assurance that these will prevent us from violating these regulations in every transaction in which we may engage. As such a violation could adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

General Risk Factors

The Company’s Success Depends on Its Executive Management and Other Key Personnel.

The Company’s future success depends to a significant degree on the skills, experience and efforts of its executive management and other key personnel and their ability to provide the Company with uninterrupted leadership and direction. The loss of the services of any of the executive officers or a failure to provide adequate succession plans for key personnel could have an adverse impact on the Company. The availability of highly qualified talent is limited and the competition for talent is robust. However, the Company provides long-term equity awards and certain other benefits for its executive officers which provides incentives for them to make a commitment to the Company. The Company’s future success will depend on its ability to have adequate succession plans in place and to attract, retain and develop qualified personnel. A failure to efficiently replace executive management members and other key personnel and to attract, retain and develop new qualified personnel could have an adverse effect on the Company’s operations and implementation of its strategic plan.

Challenges with Respect to Labor Availability Could Negatively Impact the Company’s Ability to Operate or Grow the Business.

The Company’s success depends in part on the ability of its businesses to proactively attract, motivate, and retain a qualified and highly skilled workforce in an intensely competitive labor market. A failure to attract, motivate and retain highly skilled personnel could adversely affect the Company’s operating results or its ability to operate or grow the business. Additionally, any labor stoppages or labor disruptions, including due to geopolitical unrest, unfavorable economic or industry conditions, catastrophic weather events, natural disasters or the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness could adversely affect the Company’s operating results or its ability to operate or grow the business.

Risks Related to our Management and Control Persons

Our largest shareholder and director, Nicolas Link holds substantial control over the company and is able to influence all corporate matters, which could be deemed by shareholders as not always being in their best interests.

Nicolas Link, our Chairman of the Board of Director own 150,753,425 common shares equivalent to 70.3% of the common shares and 350,000 series B shares without voting but converting into 350,000,000 common shares both held in Ilustrato Pictures International, Inc. If the Series B shares were converted Mr. Link would have voting rights of 88.8% through Ilustrato Pictures International, Inc. in which Mr. Link has voting and dispositive control

By virtue of his ownership of common stock and preferred stock, Mr. Link is able to exercise significant influence over all matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors, the approval of significant corporate transactions, and any change of control of our company.

Our officers and directors are located outside of the U.S., so it will be difficult to effect service of process and enforcement of legal judgments upon our officers and directors.

Our officers and directors are located outside of the United States and reside in the U.A.E and U.K. As a result, it may be difficult to effect service of process within the United States and enforce judgments of the US courts obtained against our executive officers and directors. Particularly, our shareholders may not be able to:

We are dependent on the continued services of our Director and Chairman and if we fail to keep them or fail to attract and retain qualified senior executives and key technical personnel, our business may not be able to expand.

We are dependent on the continued availability of Chairman, Nicolas Link and Director, John-Paul Backwell, and the availability of new executives to implement our business plans. The market for skilled employees is highly competitive, especially for employees in our industry. Although we expect that our planned compensation programs will be intended to attract and retain the employees required for us to be successful, there can be no assurance that we will be able to retain all our key employees or a sufficient number to execute our plans, nor can there be any assurance we will be able to continue to attract new employees as required.

Our lack of adequate D&O insurance may also make it difficult for us to retain and attract talented and skilled directors and officers.

In the future we may be subject to litigation, including potential class action and stockholder derivative actions. Risks associated with legal liability are difficult to assess and quantify, and their existence and magnitude can remain unknown for significant periods of time. To date, we have not obtained directors and officers liability (“D&O”) insurance, but the company is currently investigating and plans to obtain one. Without adequate D&O insurance, the amounts we would pay to indemnify our officers and directors should they be subject to legal action based on their service to the Company could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. Furthermore, our lack of adequate D&O insurance may make it difficult for us to retain and attract talented and skilled directors and officers, which could adversely affect our business. 

Our Officers and Key Personnel may voluntarily terminate their relationship with us at any time, and competition for qualified personnel is lengthy, costly, and disruptive.

If we lose the services of our officers and key personnel and fail to replace them if they depart, we could experience a negative effect on our financial results and stock price. The loss and our failure to attract, integrate, motivate, and retain additional key employees could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating and financial results and stock price.

Certain of our officers and directors have other business pursuits that might interfere with their work on our business.

Our key management and board are also represented on the management and board of ILUS and QIND, ILUS’ subsidiary. Our Chairman and CEO Nicolas Link is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dear Cashmere Holding Co. (DRCR), the Chairman of the Board of Directors of CGrowth Capital, Inc. CGRA and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ilustrato Pictures International Inc. (ILUS) where he also holds the voting control. As a result, at certain points in time, these jointly represented companies may have members of key management and board concentrate their efforts on transactions that focus on one company over the other, which collectively would not amount to work for our company on a full-time basis. Dear Cashmere Holding Co. and CGrowth Capital, Inc. are however not affiliated with SAML or any of its subsidiaries and each public company are independently responsible for its own funding. We estimate that our key management will spend an average of 20% of their time on the company’s Subsidiary QIND and 80% on the parent company ILUS and the Company. This and other conflicts of interest may arise between us and our officers and director in that they have other business interests currently, with respect to SAML, and in the future to which they devote their attention, such as in the case of acquisitions, and they may be expected to continue to do so although management time must also be devoted to our business. These competing interests could disrupt focus of our key management and board. As a result, conflicts of interest may arise that can be resolved only through exercise of such judgment as is consistent with each officer or director’s understanding of his or her fiduciary duties to our company.

Currently we have only one officers and two directors. We will seek to add additional officers and/or directors with industry experience and when the proper personnel are located and terms of employment are mutually negotiated and agreed, and we have sufficient capital resources and cash flow to make such appointments.

In an effort to resolve such potential conflicts of interest as between ILUS, SAML and QIND, our officers and director have agreed that any opportunities that they are aware of independently or directly through their association with us would be presented by them solely to ILUS, before determining whether to include the opportunities in SAML or QIND or another subsidiary.

In general, our officer and directors are required to present business opportunities to ILUS, which may include SAML or QIND, if:

Potential investors should also be aware of the following potential conflicts of interest:

None of our officers or director is required to commit his or her full time to our company and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating his or her time among various business activities.

In the course of their other business activities, our officers and directors may become aware of investment and business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated.

Our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to the combination.

Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our executive officers and director currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations:

We cannot provide assurances that our efforts to eliminate the potential impact of conflicts of interest will be effective. We are at risk that our officers and directors will favor their other business interest over the needs of our company. These competing business interests could interfere with our ability to successfully implement our business plan.

Risks Relating to our Common Stock

We may conduct offerings of our equity securities in the future, in which case your proportionate interest may become diluted.

We may be required to conduct equity offerings in the future to finance our current projects or to finance subsequent projects that we decide to undertake. If our common stock shares are issued in return for additional funds, the price per share could be lower than that paid by our current shareholders but with the aim to increase overall value for all shareholders. We anticipate continuing to rely on equity sales of our common stock shares in order to fund our business operations. If we issue additional common stock shares or securities convertible into shares of our common stock, your percentage interest in us could become diluted.

Our common stock price may be volatile and could fluctuate, which could result in substantial losses for investors.

Our common stock is quoted on the OTC Pink Market under the symbol, “SAML.” The market price of our common stock is likely to be volatile and could fluctuate in price in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:

In addition, the securities markets have from time-to-time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These market fluctuations may also materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could cause our stock price to fall.

The market price of our common stock could decline significantly as a result of sales of a large number of shares of our common stock. If our existing stockholders sell, or indicate an intention to sell, substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market after the contractual and securities law restrictions on resale of such common stock lapse, or after those shares become registered for resale pursuant to an effective registration statement, the trading price of our common stock could decline. As of March 26, 2023, a total of 213,730,601 shares of our common stock were outstanding. Of those shares, 53,027,521 are currently without restriction, in the public market. Upon the effectiveness of any registration statement, we could elect to file with respect to any outstanding shares of common stock, any sales of those shares or any perception in the market that such sales may occur could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline.

The issuance of shares of our common stock upon conversion or exercise of preferred stock, warrants and convertible notes, will dilute ownership to existing shareholders and may cause our stock price to fall.

Any issuance of additional common stock by us in the future as a result of the conversion or exercise of warrants, convertible notes, preferred stock or debt settlements would result in dilution to our existing shareholders. Such issuances could be made at a price that reflects a discount or a premium to the then-current trading price of our common stock. Moreover, the perception in the public market that shareholders might sell shares of our stock or that we could make a significant issuance of additional common stock in the future could depress the market for our shares. These sales, or the perception that these sales might occur, could depress the market price of our common stock or make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate.

We have issued shares of our common stock, as well as other securities such as warrants, convertible notes, preferred stock or debt settlements, which are convertible into shares of our common stock, in financing transactions that are deemed to be “restricted securities,” as that term is defined in Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act. From time to time, certain of our shareholders or derivative security holders may be eligible to sell all or some of their restricted shares of common stock by means of ordinary brokerage transactions in the open market pursuant to Rule 144, subject to certain limitations. The resale pursuant to Rule 144 of shares acquired from us in private transactions could cause our stock price to decline significantly.

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends or distributions on our capital stock.

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends or distributions on our capital stock. While we may not anticipate paying a dividend in the short-term and we currently intend to retain short-term earnings for growth, we may do so in the medium to long-term future.

The declaration, payment and amount of any future dividends will be made at the discretion of the board of directors, and will depend upon, among other things, the results of our operations, cash flows and financial condition, operating and capital requirements, and other factors as the board of directors considers relevant. There is no assurance that future dividends will be paid, and, if dividends are paid, there is no assurance with respect to the amount of any such dividend.

We may become involved in securities class action litigation that could divert management’s attention and harm our business.

The stock market in general, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. These fluctuations have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of the companies involved. If these fluctuations occur in the future, the market price of our shares could fall regardless of our operating performance. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a particular company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. If the market price or volume of our shares suffers extreme fluctuations, then we may become involved in this type of litigation, which would be expensive and divert management’s attention and resources from managing our business.

As a public company, we may also from time to time make forward-looking statements about future operating results and provide some financial guidance to the public markets. Projections may not be timely made and set at expected performance levels and could affect the price of our shares.

Our common stock is currently deemed a “penny stock,” which makes it more difficult for our investors to sell their shares.

Our common stock is currently deemed a “penny stock,” which makes it more difficult for our investors to sell their shares. The SEC has adopted rule 3a51-1 which establishes the definition of a “penny stock,” for the purposes relevant to us, as any equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share or with an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. For any transaction involving a penny stock, unless exempt, Rule 15g-9 requires:

In order to approve a person’s account for transactions in penny stocks, the broker or dealer must:

The broker or dealer must also deliver, prior to any transaction in a penny stock, a disclosure schedule prescribed by the SEC relating to the penny stock market, which, in highlight form:

Generally, brokers may be less willing to execute transactions in securities subject to the “penny stock” rules. This may make it more difficult for investors to dispose of our common stock and cause a decline in the market value of our stock. 

Risks Relating to Our Company and Industry

The success of our business depends on our ability to maintain and enhance our reputation and brand.

We believe that our reputation in our industry is of significant importance to the success of our business. A well-recognized brand is critical to increasing our customer base and, in turn, increasing our revenue. Since the industry is highly competitive, our ability to remain competitive depends to a large extent on our ability to maintain and enhance our reputation and brand, which could be difficult and expensive. To maintain and enhance our reputation and brand, we need to successfully manage many aspects of our business, such as cost-effective marketing campaigns to increase brand recognition and awareness in a highly competitive market. We cannot assure you, however, that these activities will be successful and achieve the brand promotion goals we expect. If we fail to maintain and enhance our reputation and brand, or if we incur excessive expenses in our efforts to do so, our business, financial conditions and results of operations could be adversely affected.

In the event that we are unable to successfully compete in our industry, we may not see lower profit margins

We face substantial competition in our industry. Due to our smaller size, it can be assumed that some of our competitors have greater financial, technical, and other competitive resources. Accordingly, these competitors may have already begun to establish superior technologies in our industry. We will attempt to compete against these competitors by developing technology that exceed what is offered by our competitors. However, we cannot assure you that our technology will outperform competing technology, or that our competitors will not develop new products or services that exceed what we provide. In addition, we may face competition based on price. If our competitors lower the prices on their products, then it may not be possible for us to market our products at prices that are economically viable. Increased competition could result in:

Any one of these results could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

In addition, our competitors may develop competing products that achieve greater market acceptance. It is also possible that new competitors may emerge and acquire significant market share. Our inability to achieve sales and revenue due to competition will have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

If we are unable to successfully manage growth, our operations could be adversely affected.

Our progress is expected to require the full utilization of our management, financial and other resources. Our ability to manage growth effectively will depend on our ability to improve and expand operations, including our financial and management information systems, and to recruit, train and manage personnel. There can be no absolute assurance that management will be able to manage growth effectively.

If we do not properly manage the growth of our business, we may experience significant strains on our management and operations and disruptions in our business. Various risks arise when companies and industries grow quickly. If our business or industry grows too quickly, our ability to meet customer demand in a timely and efficient manner could be challenged. We may also experience development delays as we seek to meet increased demand for our services and platform. Our failure to properly manage the growth that we or our industry might experience could negatively impact our ability to execute on our operating plan and, accordingly, could have an adverse impact on our business, our cash flow and results of operations, and our reputation with our current or potential customers.

We may fail to successfully integrate acquisitions or otherwise be unable to benefit from pursuing acquisitions.

We believe there are meaningful opportunities to grow through acquisitions and joint ventures across all service categories and we expect to continue a strategy of selectively identifying and acquiring businesses with complementary services. We may be unable to identify, negotiate, and complete suitable acquisition opportunities on reasonable terms. There can be no assurance that any business acquired by us will be successfully integrated with our operations or prove to be profitable to us. We may incur future liabilities related to acquisitions. Should any of the following problems, or others, occur as a result of our acquisition strategy, the impact could be material:

The elimination of monetary liability against our directors, officers and employees under our Articles of Incorporation and the existence of indemnification rights to our directors, officers and employees may result in substantial expenditures by our Company and may discourage lawsuits against our directors, officers, and employees.

Our Articles of Incorporation contain provisions that eliminate the liability of our directors for monetary damages to our Company and shareholders. Our bylaws also require us to indemnify our officers and directors. We may also have contractual indemnification obligations under our agreements with our directors, officers, and employees. The foregoing indemnification obligations could result in our company incurring substantial expenditures to cover the cost of settlement or damage awards against directors, officers, and employees that we may be unable to recoup. These provisions and resulting costs may also discourage our company from bringing a lawsuit against directors, officers, and employees for breaches of their fiduciary duties, and may similarly discourage the filing of derivative litigation by our shareholders against our directors, officers, and employees even though such actions, if successful, might otherwise benefit our Company and shareholders.

We provide integrated project management services in the form of long-term, fixed price contracts that may require us to assume additional risks associated with cost over-runs, operating cost inflation, labor availability and productivity, supplier and contractor pricing and performance, and potential claims for liquidated damages.

We provide integrated project management services outside our normal discrete business in the form of long-term, fixed price contracts. Some of these contracts are required by our customers, primarily international oil companies and defense companies. These services include acting as project managers as well as service providers and may require us to assume additional risks associated with cost over-runs. These customers may provide us with inaccurate information in relation to their reserves, which is a subjective process that involves location and volume estimation, that may result in cost over-runs, delays, and project losses. In addition, our customers often operate in countries with unsettled political conditions, war, civil unrest, or other types of community issues. These issues may also result in cost over-runs, delays, and project losses.

Providing services on an integrated basis may also require us to assume additional risks associated with operating cost inflation, labor availability and productivity, supplier pricing and performance, and potential claims for liquidated damages. We rely on third-party subcontractors and equipment providers to assist us with the completion of these types of contracts. To the extent that we cannot engage subcontractors or acquire equipment or materials in a timely manner and on reasonable terms, our ability to complete a project in accordance with stated deadlines or at a profit may be impaired. If the amount we are required to pay for these goods and services exceeds the amount we have estimated in bidding for fixed-price work, we could experience losses in the performance of these contracts. These delays and additional costs may be substantial, and we may be required to compensate our customers for these delays. This may reduce the profit to be realized or result in a loss on a project.

We may experience unexpected supply shortages.

We distribute products from a wide variety of manufacturers and suppliers. Nevertheless, in the future we may have difficulty obtaining the products we need from suppliers and manufacturers as a result of unexpected demand or production difficulties. Also, products may not be available to us in quantities sufficient to meet our customer demand. Our inability to obtain sufficient products from suppliers and manufacturers, in sufficient quantities, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. For instance, the war in Ukraine affected the geopolitical stability in Serbia. Consequently, the company postponed the production of electric vehicles in Serbia temporarily until after the Serbian election and kept our manufacturing of E-Raptor range of commercial electric Utility Vehicles in the UAE to mitigate the risk for operational and supply chain disruptions. ILUS commenced the production after the Serbian election and expects the first E-Raptor 6x6 models to roll off the Kragujevac production line in 2024. We cannot assure in the future that such incidents can significantly affect our supply chain and impact our financial and operational outlook.

A substantial decrease in the price of steel could significantly lower our gross profit or cash flow.

We distribute many products manufactured, some of which may contain steel and, as a result, our business may be significantly affected by the price and supply of steel. When steel prices are lower, the prices that we charge customers for products may decline, which affects our gross profit and cash flow. The steel industry as a whole is cyclical and at times pricing and availability of steel can be volatile due to numerous factors beyond our control, including general domestic and international economic conditions, labor costs, sales levels, competition, consolidation of steel producers, fluctuations in the costs of raw materials necessary to produce steel, import duties and tariffs and currency exchange rates. When steel prices decline, customer demands for lower prices and our competitors’ responses to those demands could result in lower sale prices and, consequently, lower gross profit or cash flow.

If steel prices rise, we may be unable to pass along the cost increases to our customers.

We maintain inventories of steel products to accommodate the lead time requirements of our customers. Accordingly, we purchase steel products in an effort to maintain our inventory at levels that we believe to be appropriate to satisfy the anticipated needs of our customers based upon historic buying practices, contracts with customers and market conditions. Our commitments to purchase steel products are generally at prevailing market prices in effect at the time we place our orders. If steel prices increase between the time, we order steel products and the time of delivery of such products to us, our suppliers may impose surcharges that require us to pay for increases in steel prices during such period. Demand for the products we distribute, the actions of our competitors, and other factors will influence whether we will be able to pass such steel cost increases and surcharges on to our customers, and we may be unsuccessful in doing so.

We are subject to increased risks associated with our investments in emerging markets, particularly in the Middle East region and specifically in the United Arab Emirates. These risks encompass significant political, social, and economic uncertainties in the region. Given the volatile nature of these markets, instabilities in these regions could significantly adversely affect the value of our investments.

Almost all of ILUS’s operations are conducted, and almost of its assets are, as at the date of this document, located in the UAE, which is defined as an emerging market. While most of the countries in which ILUS conducts business have historically not been affected by political instability, there is no assurance that any political, social, economic or market conditions affecting such countries in the Middle East region generally (as well as outside the Middle East region because of interrelationships within the global financial markets) would not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. 

Specific risks in these countries and the Middle East region that may have a material impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition include:

Any unexpected changes in the political, social, economic or other conditions in which ILUS operates or neighboring countries may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

It is not possible to predict the occurrence of events or circumstances such as or similar to those outlined above or the impact of such occurrences and no assurance can be given that ILUS would be able to sustain its current profit levels if such events or circumstances were to occur.

Investors should also be aware that emerging markets are subject to greater risks than more developed markets, including in some cases significant legal, economic and political risks. Accordingly, investors should exercise particular care in evaluating the risks involved and must decide for themselves whether, in light of those risks, their investment is appropriate. Generally, investment in developing markets is only suitable for sophisticated investors who fully appreciate the significance of the risks involved.

We are exposed to risks from potentially unpredictable legal and regulatory environments in the UAE and Middle East region.

ILUS currently operates in an emerging market economy in the UAE, which are in various stages of developing institutions and legal and regulatory systems that are not yet as fully matured and as established as those of Western Europe and the United States. Some of these countries are also in the process of transitioning to a market economy and, as a result, are experiencing changes in their economies and their government policies (including, without limitation, policies relating to foreign ownership, repatriation of profits, property and contractual rights and planning and permit granting regimes) that may affect our business in those countries. Such countries are also characterized by less comprehensive legal and regulatory environments and systems. Existing laws and regulations may be applied inconsistently with anomalies in their interpretation or implementation. Such anomalies could affect our ability to enforce its rights under its contracts or to defend its business against claims by others.

There can be no assurance that if laws or regulations were imposed on the products and services offered by SAML it would not increase its costs, impact the costs that are associated with buying properties in Dubai and internationally, adversely affect the way in which SAML conducts its business or otherwise have a material adverse effect on its results of operations and financial condition.

Any of the above factors, alone or in combination, may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We are exposed to risks arising from potential changes in the UAE’s visa legislation, which could adversely impact the business operations.

A federal decision No. 281 of 2009 issued by the Minister of the Interior in May 2009 (the “Resolution”), which came into effect on 1 June 2009, standardized the terms of residency permits issued to expatriate residential property owners across the UAE. The decree allows expatriate property owners to apply for renewable multiple-entry visas with a validity of six months. The residency permit does not entitle the holder to work in the UAE and is in effect a long-term visit visa. In order to successfully apply for the new permit, expatriate property owners must satisfy certain criteria, including a minimum property valuation of at least AED 1 million, earning thresholds and the maintenance of appropriate insurance. While the Resolution was passed with the intention of standardizing the previous rules and stimulating the domestic market, it is not possible to assess whether the Resolution has had a positive or negative effect on levels of foreign investment in the UAE market. Separately, the Government, through the Dubai Land Department, has introduced a two-year residency visa for residential property owners in Dubai, and, while the criteria for obtaining this residency visa is similar to the residency permit, it provides the holder with UAE residency status, allowing the individual to obtain an Emirates ID card and a UAE driving license as well as to sponsor dependents (subject to meeting the relevant criteria for dependent sponsorship). The Government has introduced other new visa measures to make the UAE more appealing to investors, entrepreneurs, skilled personnel and outstanding students, including the 10-year “Golden” visa. However, any restrictive changes to the UAE’s visa policies may discourage foreign nationals from investing in the UAE, which would have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We are subject to risks associated with potential unlawful or arbitrary governmental actions in the UAE, which could negatively impact our operations and financial performance.

Governmental authorities in the UAE in which some of ILUS’s subsidiaries operates may have a high degree of discretion and, at times, act selectively or arbitrarily, without hearing or prior notice, and sometimes in a manner that is contrary to law or influenced by political or commercial considerations. Such governmental action could include, among other things, the withdrawal of building permits, the expropriation of property without adequate compensation or the forcing of business acquisitions, combinations or sales. Any such action taken may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We are subject to the risk of international sanctions, which could significantly impact our business activities, results of operations and financial condition.

European, US and other international sanctions have in the past been imposed on companies engaging in certain types of transactions with specified countries or companies or individuals in those countries. Companies operating in certain countries in the Middle East region have been subject to such sanctions in the past. The UAE are not subject to such sanctions as at the date of this transition report. The terms of legislation and other rules and regulations which establish sanctions regimes are often broad in scope and difficult to interpret.

If the UAE were in the future to violate European, US or international sanctions, penalties could include a prohibition or limitation on the UAE’s ability to conduct business in certain jurisdictions or to access the US or international capital markets. Any such sanction could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.