Contingencies |
6 Months Ended |
---|---|
Apr. 30, 2018 | |
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |
Contingencies | Contingencies Remediation and Environmental Compliance Costs Under applicable state and federal laws, we may be responsible for, among other things, all or part of the costs required to remove or remediate wastes or hazardous substances at locations we, or our predecessors, have owned or operated. From time to time, we also have been alleged to be liable for all or part of the costs incurred to clean up third-party sites where there might have been an alleged improper disposal of hazardous substances. At present, we are not involved in any such matters. From time to time, we incur routine expenses and capital expenditures associated with compliance with existing environmental regulations, including control of air emissions and water discharges, and plant decommissioning costs. We have not incurred any material expenses or capital expenditures related to environmental matters during the past three fiscal years, and do not expect to incur a material amount of such costs in fiscal 2018. While we will continue to have future expenditures related to environmental matters, any such amounts are impossible to reasonably estimate at this time. Based upon our experience to date, we do not believe that our compliance with environmental requirements will have a material adverse effect on our operations, financial condition or cash flows. Spacer Migration We were notified by certain customers through our German operation that the vapor barrier employed on certain spacer products manufactured prior to March 2014 may permit spacer migration in certain extreme circumstances. This product does not have a specific customer warranty, but we have received claims from customers related to this issue, which we continue to investigate. The balance of the accrual for this matter was $1.3 million and $1.6 million at October 31, 2017 and April 30, 2018. During the six months ended April 30, 2018, we incurred additional claims of $1.0 million, which were offset by payments of $0.7 million. We cannot estimate any future liability with regard to unasserted claims. We evaluate this reserve at each balance sheet date. We investigate any claims, but we are not obligated to honor any future claims. Litigation From time to time, we, along with our subsidiaries, are involved in various litigation matters arising in the ordinary course of our business, including those arising from or related to contractual matters, commercial disputes, intellectual property, personal injury, environmental matters, product performance or warranties, product liability, insurance coverage and personnel and employment disputes. We regularly review with legal counsel the status of all ongoing proceedings, and we maintain insurance against these risks to the extent deemed prudent by our management and to the extent such insurance is available. However, there is no assurance that we will prevail in these matters or that our insurers will accept full coverage of these matters, and we could, in the future, incur judgments, enter into settlements of claims, or revise our expectations regarding the outcome or insurability of matters we face, which could materially impact our results of operations. We have been and are currently party to multiple claims, some of which are in litigation, relating to alleged defects in a commercial sealant product that was manufactured and sold during the 2000's. During the six months ended April 30, 2018, our insurance carrier reimbursed fees and expenses originally incurred as part of our defense of these various commercial sealant claims totaling $0.5 million. While we believe that our product was not defective and that we would prevail in these commercial sealant product claims if taken to trial, the timing, ultimate resolution and potential impact of these claims is not currently determinable. Nevertheless, after taking into account all currently available information, including our defenses, the advice of our counsel, and the extent and currently-expected availability of our existing insurance coverage, we believe that the eventual outcome of these commercial sealant claims will not have a material adverse effect on our overall financial condition, results of operations or cash flows, and we have not recorded any accrual with regard to these claims. |