Restructuring and Other Charges

Over the past several years, we have adopted plans to restructure portions of our operations. These plans were approved by our Board of Directors and were designed to reduce operational and administrative overhead costs throughout the business. In 2013, we incurred $78 million in restructuring and related costs, primarily related to European cost reduction efforts including non-cash asset write downs of $3 million, the costs to exit the distribution of aftermarket exhaust products and ending production of leaf springs in Australia, headcount reductions in various regions, and the net impact of freezing our defined benefit plans in the United Kingdom, of which $70 million was recorded in cost of sales, $6 million in SG&A, $1 million in engineering expense and $1 million in other expense. In 2014, we incurred $49 million in restructuring and related costs including non-cash charges of $5 million, primarily related to European cost reduction efforts, headcount reductions in Australia and South America, the sale of a closed facility in Cozad, Nebraska and costs related to organizational change, of which $28 million was recorded in cost of sales, $9 million in SG&A, $7 million in engineering expense, $4 million in other expense and $1 million in depreciation and amortization. In 2015, we incurred $63 million in restructuring and related costs including asset write-downs of $10 million, primarily related to European cost reduction efforts, exiting the Marzocchi suspension business, headcount reductions in Australia and South America, and the closure of a JIT plant in Australia, of which $46 million was recorded in cost of sales, $11 million in SG&A, $1 million in engineering expense, $4 million in depreciation and amortization expense and $1 million in other expense.

Amounts related to activities that are part of our restructuring plans are as follows:



	December 31, 2014 Restructuring Reserve		2015 Expenses	2015 Cash Payments		Impact of Exchange Rates		December 31, 2015 Restructuring Reserve
	(Millions)
Employee Severance, Termination Benefits and Other Related Costs	$	40	53	(59	)	(4	)	$	30

On January 31, 2013, we announced our intent to reduce structural costs in Europe by approximately $60 million annually. We still expect to reach our target annual savings rate in 2016, however the recent dramatic changes in exchange rates will likely have an impact on the actual savings achieved when translated from Euros to U.S. dollars. We incurred $78 million in restructuring and related costs in 2013, of which $69 million was related to this initiative including $3 million for non-cash asset write downs. In 2014, we incurred $49 million in restructuring and related costs, of which $31 million was related to this initiative including $3 million for non-cash asset write downs. In 2015, we incurred $63 million in restructuring and related costs, of which $22 million was related to this initiative. While we are nearing the completion of this initiative, we expect to incur additional restructuring and related costs in 2016 due to certain ongoing matters. For example, we closed a plant in Gijon Spain in 2013, but subsequently re-opened it in July 2014 with about half of its prior workforce after the employees' works council successfully filed suit challenging the closure decision. Pursuant to an agreement we entered into with employee representatives, we are currently engaged in a sale process to identify potential purchasers for the facility and intend to continue operating it until a complete transfer of ownership takes place.

On July 22, 2015, we announced our intention to discontinue our Marzocchi motorcycle fork suspension product line and our mountain bike suspension product line, and liquidate our Marzocchi operations. These actions were subject to a consultation process with the employee representatives and in total eliminated approximately 138 jobs. We employed 127 people at the Marzocchi plant in Bologna, Italy and an additional 11 people in our operations in North America and Taiwan. In November 2015, we closed on the sale of certain assets related to our Marzocchi mountain bike suspension product line to the affiliates of Fox Factory Holding Corp.; and in December 2015, we closed on the sale of the Marzocchi motorcycle fork product line to an Italian company, VRM S.p.A. These actions were a part of our ongoing efforts to optimize our Ride Performance product line globally while continuously improving our operations and increasing profitability. We recorded charges of $29 million in 2015 related to severance and other employee related costs, asset write-downs and other expenses related to the closure.

Under the terms of our amended and restated senior credit agreement that took effect on December 8, 2014, we are allowed to exclude up to $150 million in the aggregate of all costs, expenses, fees, fines, penalties, judgments, legal settlements and other amounts associated with any restructuring, litigation, claim, proceeding or investigation related to or undertaken by us or any of our subsidiaries, together with any related provision for taxes, incurred after December 8, 2014 in the calculation of the financial covenant ratios required under our senior credit facility. As of December 31, 2015, we had excluded $53 million of allowable charges relating to restructuring initiatives against the $150 million available under the terms of the senior credit facility.