Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Organization and Description of the Business

Federal Signal Corporation was founded in 1901 and was reincorporated as a Delaware corporation in 1969. References herein to the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us” refer collectively to Federal Signal Corporation and its subsidiaries.

Products manufactured and services rendered by the Company are divided into two reportable segments: Environmental Solutions Group and Safety and Security Systems Group. The individual operating businesses are organized as such because they share certain characteristics, including technology, marketing, distribution and product application, which create long-term synergies. These segments are discussed in Note 13 – Segment Information.

Basis of Presentation and Consolidation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements represent the consolidation of Federal Signal Corporation and its subsidiaries included herein and have been prepared by the Company pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States (“U.S.”) Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations, although the Company believes that the disclosures presented herein are adequate to ensure the information presented is not misleading. Except as otherwise noted, these condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Company’s accounting policies described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, and should be read in conjunction with those consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto.

In addition, as discussed in Note 2 – Acquisitions, on July 1, 2019, the Company completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets and operations of Mark Rite Lines Equipment Company, Inc. (“MRL”), a U.S. manufacturer of truck-mounted and ride-on road-marking equipment, including its wholly-owned subsidiary HighMark Traffic Services, Inc. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2019 includes preliminary fair values assigned to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in connection with the acquisition, whereas the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 include the post-acquisition operating results of MRL.

These condensed consolidated financial statements include all normal and recurring adjustments that we considered necessary to present a fair statement of our results of operations, financial condition and cash flow. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The results reported in these condensed consolidated financial statements should not be regarded as necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year. While we label our quarterly information using a calendar convention whereby our first, second and third quarters are labeled as ending on March 31, June 30 and September 30, respectively, it is our longstanding practice to establish interim quarterly closing dates based on a 13-week period ending on a Saturday, with our fiscal year ending on December 31. The effects of this practice are not material and exist only within a reporting year.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements and Accounting Changes

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, Leases (“Topic 842”), which supersedes the lease accounting requirements in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 840, Leases (“Topic 840”). Topic 842 requires organizations that are lessees in operating lease arrangements to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and requires disclosure of key qualitative and quantitative information about leasing arrangements by both lessors and lessees. The Company adopted Topic 842 effective January 1, 2019, using the alternative transition method outlined in ASU No. 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements, which permits application of the new guidance at the beginning of the period of adoption, with comparative periods continuing to be reported under Topic 840. See Note 4 – Leases for further discussion.

No other new accounting pronouncements issued, but not yet adopted, are expected to have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or cash flow.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect (i) the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, (ii) the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and (iii) the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

As described in Note 2 – Acquisitions, amounts allocated to certain assets acquired and liabilities assumed in connection with the acquisition of MRL are considered preliminary as of September 30, 2019 and are subject to change during the measurement period.

Significant Accounting Policies

Following the adoption of Topic 842, the Company’s lease accounting policy is and will be disclosed as a significant accounting policy. See Note 4 – Leases for further discussion. There have been no other changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies as disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.