Lawsuits, Claims, Commitments, Contingencies and Related Matters

9 Months Ended

Oct. 01, 2017

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Lawsuits, Claims, Commitments, Contingencies and Related Matters

Lawsuits, Claims, Commitments, Contingencies and Related Matters

For a further description of the Company’s commitments and contingencies, reference is made to Note 14 of the Company’s financial statements as of and for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2017, included in the 2016 Form 10-K.

At October 1, 2017, the Company’s reserves for environmental remediation obligations totaled $5.5 million, of which $1.7 million is included in current accrued liabilities. At January 1, 2017, the Company’s reserves for environmental remediation obligations totaled $7.0 million. The Company periodically evaluates whether it may be able to recover a portion of future costs for environmental liabilities from its insurance carriers and from third parties. The timing of expenditures depends on a number of factors that vary by site, including the nature and extent of contamination, the number of potentially responsible parties, the timing of regulatory approvals, the complexity of the investigation and remediation, and the standards for remediation. The Company expects that it will expend present accruals over many years and will complete remediation of all sites with which it has been identified in up to 30 years.

A number of other lawsuits, claims and proceedings have been or may be asserted against the Company, including those pertaining to product liability, acquisitions, patent infringement, contracts, environmental, employment and employee benefits matters. While the outcome of litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, and some of these lawsuits, claims or proceedings may be determined adversely to the Company, management does not believe that the disposition of any such pending matters is likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial statements.