financial information related to our business segments can be found in note 16 - segment information of our financial statements included elsewhere in this 10-k. 42 back to top acquisitions in march 2019 , we acquired vpi quality windows , inc. , a leading manufacturer of vinyl windows , specializing in customized solutions for mid-rise multi-family , industrial , hospitality and commercial projects , primarily in the western u.s. vpi is located in spokane , washington . vpi is part of our north america segment . we paid $ 57.8 million in cash , net of cash acquired , for the acquisition of vpi . in april 2018 , we acquired the assets of d & k , a long-standing supplier of cavity sliders to our corinthian doors business . d & k is part of our australasia segment . in march 2018 , we acquired the remaining issued and outstanding shares and membership interests of abs , headquartered in sacramento , california . abs is a premier supplier of value-added services for the millwork industry . abs is part of our north america segment . in february 2018 , we acquired a & l , a leading australian manufacturer of residential aluminum windows and patio doors . a & l has a network of manufacturing facilities across the eastern seaboard of australia , which we expect will deliver synergies through operational savings from the implementation of jem and by leveraging the benefits of our combined supply chain . a & l is part of our australasia segment . in february 2018 , we acquired domoferm , headquartered in gänserndorf , austria . domoferm is a leading european provider of steel doors , steel door frames , and fire doors for commercial and residential markets with four manufacturing sites in austria , germany , and the czech republic . domoferm is part of our europe segment . we paid an aggregate of approximately $ 229.2 million in cash , including contingent consideration , ( net of cash acquired ) for the 2019 and 2018 acquisitions . in addition , we assumed no debt in our 2019 acquisition and we assumed debt of approximately $ 70.6 million associated with our 2018 acquired companies . for additional information on our acquisition activity , see note 2 - acquisitions of our financial statements included elsewhere in this 10-k. factors and trends affecting our business components of net revenues the key components of our net revenues include core net revenues ( which we define to include the impact of pricing and volume/mix , as discussed further under the heading , “ product pricing and volume/mix ” below ) , contribution from acquisitions made within the prior twelve months , and the impact of foreign exchange . core net revenues reported in our financial statements are impacted by the fluctuating currency values in the geographies in which we operate , which we refer to as the impact of foreign exchange . throughout this “ management 's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations ” , percentage changes in pricing are based on management schedules and are not derived directly from our accounting records . product demand general business , financial market , and economic conditions globally and in the regions where we operate influence overall demand in our end markets and for our products . in particular , the following factors may have a direct impact on demand for our products in the countries and regions where our products are marketed and sold : the strength of the economy ; employment rates and consumer confidence and spending rates ; the availability and cost of credit ; the amount and type of residential and non-residential construction ; housing sales and home values ; the age of existing home stock , home vacancy rates , and foreclosures ; interest rate fluctuations for our customers and consumers ; increases in the cost of raw materials or any shortage in supplies or labor ; the effects of governmental regulation and initiatives to manage economic conditions ; geographical shifts in population and other changes in demographics ; and changes in weather patterns . 43 back to top in addition , we seek to drive demand for our products through the implementation of various strategies and initiatives . we believe we can enhance demand for our new and existing products by : innovating and developing new products and technologies ; investing in branding and marketing strategies , including marketing campaigns in both print and social media , as well as our investments in training centers and mobile training facilities ; and implementing channel initiatives to enhance our relationships with key channel partners and customers , including the true blu dealer management program in north america . product pricing and volume/mix the price and mix of products that we sell are important drivers of our net revenues and net income . under the heading “ results of operations , ” references to ( i ) “ pricing ” refer to the impact of price increases or decreases , as applicable , for particular products between periods and ( ii ) “ volume/mix ” refer to the combined impact of both the number of products we sell in a particular period and the types of products sold , in each case , on net revenues . while we operate in competitive markets , pricing discipline is an important element of our strategy to achieve profitable growth through improved margins . our strategy also includes incentivizing our channel partners to sell our higher margin products , and we believe a renewed focus on innovation and the development of new technologies will increase our sales volumes and the overall profitability of our product mix . story_separator_special_tag during the second and third quarters of 2020 , we experienced intermittent closures of certain manufacturing facilities due to local and governmental mandates , with disruptions occurring primarily in april and may . customer demand and revenue were consistent with our expectations during april and may with high-teens percentage declines from the prior year , however , they improved through the last half of the second quarter and continued to improve throughout the second half of 2020. we have modified our manufacturing facilities and procedures , based on recommended public health guidelines , to ensure the health and well-being of our employees . during 2020 , we recognized approximately $ 7.4 million relating to governmental pandemic assistance programs , which are primarily related to reimbursements for additional costs incurred as a result of the outbreak of covid-19 . we have continued to monitor our liquidity throughout 2020 and increased liquidity compared to the prior year , primarily as a result of issuing $ 250.0 million of senior secured notes during the second quarter , adding additional collateral to increase our borrowing base and availability under the abl facility , and the impact of cost savings measures . we have taken measures to reduce discretionary spending including , for example , restricted travel , implemented hiring freezes for non-essential positions , delayed merit increases , and suspended all non-critical spending , such as marketing and discretionary projects . in addition , during the second quarter , we implemented actions to reduce salary costs globally , including our executive leadership team and board of directors elected to reduce their second quarter compensation by 25 % , and implemented short-term employee furloughs throughout our company . during the third and fourth quarters , we reversed certain salary cost cutting initiatives to those negatively impacted . further , to maintain sufficient levels of cash and liquidity , we are deferring tax payments where permitted through covid-19 related government subsidy programs and are actively monitoring our accounts receivable for customers with elevated credit risk . we are monitoring the situation closely and , if necessary , will relax cost saving measures or implement additional measures as appropriate . 47 back to top the scope and nature of impacts from covid-19 , most of which are beyond our control , continue to evolve , and the outcome is uncertain . the ultimate effects of the covid-19 pandemic on us and the end markets we service , is highly uncertain and will depend on future developments . such effects could exist for an extended period even after the pandemic ends . results of operations the tables in this section summarize key components of our results of operations for the periods indicated , both in u.s. dollars and as a percentage of our net revenues . certain percentages presented in this section have been rounded to the nearest whole number . accordingly , totals may not equal the sum of the line items in the tables below . comparison of the year ended december 31 , 2020 to the year ended december 31 , 2019 replace_table_token_2_th consolidated results net revenues – net revenues decreased $ 54.1 million , or 1.3 % , to $ 4,235.7 million in the year ended december 31 , 2020 from $ 4,289.8 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019. the decrease was driven by a decline in core revenue of 2 % consisting of a 5 % decline in volume/mix , partially offset by a 3 % pricing benefit . gross margin – gross margin increased $ 29.4 million , or 3.4 % , to $ 901.9 million in the year ended december 31 , 2020 from $ 872.5 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019. gross margin as a percentage of net revenues was 21.3 % in the year ended december 31 , 2020 and 20.3 % in the year ended december 31 , 2019. gross margins increased due to sourcing savings and improved pricing , partially offset by unfavorable volume/mix and the effect of inflation on labor compensation . sg & a expense – sg & a expense increased $ 42.1 million , or 6.4 % , to $ 702.7 million in the year ended december 31 , 2020 from $ 660.6 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019. the increase in sg & a expense was primarily due to increased legal expenses , primarily relating to litigation and environmental accruals and fees , and estimated variable compensation , partially offset by reductions in spending relating to sales , marketing and travel as a result of cost saving measures implemented in response to covid-19 , and the non-recurrence of aquisition costs recorded in 2019. impairment and restructuring charges – impairment and restructuring charges decreased $ 11.1 million , or 51.4 % , to $ 10.5 million in the year ended december 31 , 2020 from $ 21.6 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019. charges incurred in 2020 primarily related to severance charges for ongoing restructuring projects across all segments as well as impairment charges primarily related to capitalized costs of certain erp modules due to delays in implementation and uncertainty of their future use . charges incurred in 2019 primarily related to plant consolidations in our north america and australasia segments resulting in impairments of rou assets and property and equipment as well as severance costs across all segments and corporate . for more information , refer to note 20 - impairment and restructuring charges to our consolidated financial statements included in this 10-k. interest expense , net – interest expense , net , increased $ 3.0 million , or 4.2 % , to $ 74.8 million in the year ended december 31 , 2020 from $ 71.8 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019. the increase was primarily due to interest on our senior secured notes issued in may 2020 , partially offset by reduced borrowings and interest rates

cash flow from operations net cash provided by operating activities increased $ 52.9 million to $ 355.7 million in the year ended december 31 , 2020 from $ 302.7 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019. the increase in cash provided by operating activities was due primarily to increases in accruals for the deferral of payroll taxes , including $ 20.9 million as a result of the cares act , which will be paid equally over the subsequent two years , legal and environmental matters , and estimated variable compensation . net cash provided by operating activities increased $ 83.1 million to $ 302.7 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019 from $ 219.7 million in the year ended december 31 , 2018. the increase in cash provided by operating activities was due primarily to improvement in working capital as a result of optimization of vendor payment terms , lower inventory balances due to reduced core revenue volumes , and reduced cash taxes . cash flow from investing activities net cash used in investing activities decreased $ 102.9 million to $ 82.0 million in the year ended december 31 , 2020 from $ 184.9 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019 primarily due to a decrease in the cash used for acquisitions and a reduction in capital expenditures . net cash used in investing activities decreased $ 99.2 million to $ 184.9 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019 from $ 284.1 million in the year ended december 31 , 2018. the decrease was primarily due to a decrease in cash used for acquisitions .


 Write a concise suspicious activity report of the following text delimited by triple backquotes. Return your response as a formal report which covers the key points highlighting the location,dates,entity names and account holder information in chronological order of the text.
     ```cash flow from operations net cash provided by operating activities increased $ 52.9 million to $ 355.7 million in the year ended december 31 , 2020 from $ 302.7 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019. the increase in cash provided by operating activities was due primarily to increases in accruals for the deferral of payroll taxes , including $ 20.9 million as a result of the cares act , which will be paid equally over the subsequent two years , legal and environmental matters , and estimated variable compensation . net cash provided by operating activities increased $ 83.1 million to $ 302.7 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019 from $ 219.7 million in the year ended december 31 , 2018. the increase in cash provided by operating activities was due primarily to improvement in working capital as a result of optimization of vendor payment terms , lower inventory balances due to reduced core revenue volumes , and reduced cash taxes . cash flow from investing activities net cash used in investing activities decreased $ 102.9 million to $ 82.0 million in the year ended december 31 , 2020 from $ 184.9 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019 primarily due to a decrease in the cash used for acquisitions and a reduction in capital expenditures . net cash used in investing activities decreased $ 99.2 million to $ 184.9 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019 from $ 284.1 million in the year ended december 31 , 2018. the decrease was primarily due to a decrease in cash used for acquisitions .
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 Suspicious Activity Report : financial information related to our business segments can be found in note 16 - segment information of our financial statements included elsewhere in this 10-k. 42 back to top acquisitions in march 2019 , we acquired vpi quality windows , inc. , a leading manufacturer of vinyl windows , specializing in customized solutions for mid-rise multi-family , industrial , hospitality and commercial projects , primarily in the western u.s. vpi is located in spokane , washington . vpi is part of our north america segment . we paid $ 57.8 million in cash , net of cash acquired , for the acquisition of vpi . in april 2018 , we acquired the assets of d & k , a long-standing supplier of cavity sliders to our corinthian doors business . d & k is part of our australasia segment . in march 2018 , we acquired the remaining issued and outstanding shares and membership interests of abs , headquartered in sacramento , california . abs is a premier supplier of value-added services for the millwork industry . abs is part of our north america segment . in february 2018 , we acquired a & l , a leading australian manufacturer of residential aluminum windows and patio doors . a & l has a network of manufacturing facilities across the eastern seaboard of australia , which we expect will deliver synergies through operational savings from the implementation of jem and by leveraging the benefits of our combined supply chain . a & l is part of our australasia segment . in february 2018 , we acquired domoferm , headquartered in gänserndorf , austria . domoferm is a leading european provider of steel doors , steel door frames , and fire doors for commercial and residential markets with four manufacturing sites in austria , germany , and the czech republic . domoferm is part of our europe segment . we paid an aggregate of approximately $ 229.2 million in cash , including contingent consideration , ( net of cash acquired ) for the 2019 and 2018 acquisitions . in addition , we assumed no debt in our 2019 acquisition and we assumed debt of approximately $ 70.6 million associated with our 2018 acquired companies . for additional information on our acquisition activity , see note 2 - acquisitions of our financial statements included elsewhere in this 10-k. factors and trends affecting our business components of net revenues the key components of our net revenues include core net revenues ( which we define to include the impact of pricing and volume/mix , as discussed further under the heading , “ product pricing and volume/mix ” below ) , contribution from acquisitions made within the prior twelve months , and the impact of foreign exchange . core net revenues reported in our financial statements are impacted by the fluctuating currency values in the geographies in which we operate , which we refer to as the impact of foreign exchange . throughout this “ management 's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations ” , percentage changes in pricing are based on management schedules and are not derived directly from our accounting records . product demand general business , financial market , and economic conditions globally and in the regions where we operate influence overall demand in our end markets and for our products . in particular , the following factors may have a direct impact on demand for our products in the countries and regions where our products are marketed and sold : the strength of the economy ; employment rates and consumer confidence and spending rates ; the availability and cost of credit ; the amount and type of residential and non-residential construction ; housing sales and home values ; the age of existing home stock , home vacancy rates , and foreclosures ; interest rate fluctuations for our customers and consumers ; increases in the cost of raw materials or any shortage in supplies or labor ; the effects of governmental regulation and initiatives to manage economic conditions ; geographical shifts in population and other changes in demographics ; and changes in weather patterns . 43 back to top in addition , we seek to drive demand for our products through the implementation of various strategies and initiatives . we believe we can enhance demand for our new and existing products by : innovating and developing new products and technologies ; investing in branding and marketing strategies , including marketing campaigns in both print and social media , as well as our investments in training centers and mobile training facilities ; and implementing channel initiatives to enhance our relationships with key channel partners and customers , including the true blu dealer management program in north america . product pricing and volume/mix the price and mix of products that we sell are important drivers of our net revenues and net income . under the heading “ results of operations , ” references to ( i ) “ pricing ” refer to the impact of price increases or decreases , as applicable , for particular products between periods and ( ii ) “ volume/mix ” refer to the combined impact of both the number of products we sell in a particular period and the types of products sold , in each case , on net revenues . while we operate in competitive markets , pricing discipline is an important element of our strategy to achieve profitable growth through improved margins . our strategy also includes incentivizing our channel partners to sell our higher margin products , and we believe a renewed focus on innovation and the development of new technologies will increase our sales volumes and the overall profitability of our product mix . story_separator_special_tag during the second and third quarters of 2020 , we experienced intermittent closures of certain manufacturing facilities due to local and governmental mandates , with disruptions occurring primarily in april and may . customer demand and revenue were consistent with our expectations during april and may with high-teens percentage declines from the prior year , however , they improved through the last half of the second quarter and continued to improve throughout the second half of 2020. we have modified our manufacturing facilities and procedures , based on recommended public health guidelines , to ensure the health and well-being of our employees . during 2020 , we recognized approximately $ 7.4 million relating to governmental pandemic assistance programs , which are primarily related to reimbursements for additional costs incurred as a result of the outbreak of covid-19 . we have continued to monitor our liquidity throughout 2020 and increased liquidity compared to the prior year , primarily as a result of issuing $ 250.0 million of senior secured notes during the second quarter , adding additional collateral to increase our borrowing base and availability under the abl facility , and the impact of cost savings measures . we have taken measures to reduce discretionary spending including , for example , restricted travel , implemented hiring freezes for non-essential positions , delayed merit increases , and suspended all non-critical spending , such as marketing and discretionary projects . in addition , during the second quarter , we implemented actions to reduce salary costs globally , including our executive leadership team and board of directors elected to reduce their second quarter compensation by 25 % , and implemented short-term employee furloughs throughout our company . during the third and fourth quarters , we reversed certain salary cost cutting initiatives to those negatively impacted . further , to maintain sufficient levels of cash and liquidity , we are deferring tax payments where permitted through covid-19 related government subsidy programs and are actively monitoring our accounts receivable for customers with elevated credit risk . we are monitoring the situation closely and , if necessary , will relax cost saving measures or implement additional measures as appropriate . 47 back to top the scope and nature of impacts from covid-19 , most of which are beyond our control , continue to evolve , and the outcome is uncertain . the ultimate effects of the covid-19 pandemic on us and the end markets we service , is highly uncertain and will depend on future developments . such effects could exist for an extended period even after the pandemic ends . results of operations the tables in this section summarize key components of our results of operations for the periods indicated , both in u.s. dollars and as a percentage of our net revenues . certain percentages presented in this section have been rounded to the nearest whole number . accordingly , totals may not equal the sum of the line items in the tables below . comparison of the year ended december 31 , 2020 to the year ended december 31 , 2019 replace_table_token_2_th consolidated results net revenues – net revenues decreased $ 54.1 million , or 1.3 % , to $ 4,235.7 million in the year ended december 31 , 2020 from $ 4,289.8 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019. the decrease was driven by a decline in core revenue of 2 % consisting of a 5 % decline in volume/mix , partially offset by a 3 % pricing benefit . gross margin – gross margin increased $ 29.4 million , or 3.4 % , to $ 901.9 million in the year ended december 31 , 2020 from $ 872.5 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019. gross margin as a percentage of net revenues was 21.3 % in the year ended december 31 , 2020 and 20.3 % in the year ended december 31 , 2019. gross margins increased due to sourcing savings and improved pricing , partially offset by unfavorable volume/mix and the effect of inflation on labor compensation . sg & a expense – sg & a expense increased $ 42.1 million , or 6.4 % , to $ 702.7 million in the year ended december 31 , 2020 from $ 660.6 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019. the increase in sg & a expense was primarily due to increased legal expenses , primarily relating to litigation and environmental accruals and fees , and estimated variable compensation , partially offset by reductions in spending relating to sales , marketing and travel as a result of cost saving measures implemented in response to covid-19 , and the non-recurrence of aquisition costs recorded in 2019. impairment and restructuring charges – impairment and restructuring charges decreased $ 11.1 million , or 51.4 % , to $ 10.5 million in the year ended december 31 , 2020 from $ 21.6 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019. charges incurred in 2020 primarily related to severance charges for ongoing restructuring projects across all segments as well as impairment charges primarily related to capitalized costs of certain erp modules due to delays in implementation and uncertainty of their future use . charges incurred in 2019 primarily related to plant consolidations in our north america and australasia segments resulting in impairments of rou assets and property and equipment as well as severance costs across all segments and corporate . for more information , refer to note 20 - impairment and restructuring charges to our consolidated financial statements included in this 10-k. interest expense , net – interest expense , net , increased $ 3.0 million , or 4.2 % , to $ 74.8 million in the year ended december 31 , 2020 from $ 71.8 million in the year ended december 31 , 2019. the increase was primarily due to interest on our senior secured notes issued in may 2020 , partially offset by reduced borrowings and interest rates

