Business Combinations--The Company allocates the purchase price of its acquisitions to the assets acquired, liabilities assumed, and noncontrolling interests based upon their respective fair values at the acquisition date. The Company utilizes management estimates and inputs from an independent third-party valuation firm to assist in determining these fair values. The excess of the acquisition price over estimated fair values is recorded as goodwill. Goodwill is adjusted for any changes to acquisition date fair value amounts made within the measurement period. Acquisition-related transaction costs are recognized separately from the business combination and expensed as incurred.

Revenue Recognition--Revenue is recognized when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The promise in a contract to transfer goods or services to a customer represents a performance obligation. The Company typically sells its products to customers by purchase order and does not have any additional performance obligations included in contracts to customers other than the shipment of the products. Therefore, the Company allocates the transaction price based on a single performance obligation. The Company typically ships products FOB shipping at which point control of the products passes to the customers. The Company considers the performance obligation satisfied and recognizes revenue at a point in time, the time of shipment.

The Company’s products may include routine assurance-type warranties which do not qualify as separate performance obligations. In the event that significant post-shipment obligations were to exist for the Company’s products, revenue recognition would be deferred until the performance obligations were satisfied.

Shipping and Handling Costs--Shipping and handling costs are considered activities required to fulfill the Company’s promise to transfer goods, and do not qualify as a separate performance obligation. Shipping and handling costs are recorded as a component of cost of sales.

Research and Development Expense--The Company’s research and development activities are charged to expense in the period incurred. The Company incurred expenses of approximately $20.8 million in 2019, $22.1 million in 2018, and $20.8 million in 2017 related to research and development.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments--Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, provides guidance for defining, measuring, and disclosing fair value within an established framework and hierarchy. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The standard established a fair value hierarchy which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value within the hierarchy are as follows:

Level 2 – Quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets; and

Accounts Receivable, Earned Discounts, and Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts--Accounts receivable are stated at estimated net realizable value. Accounts receivable are comprised of balances due from customers, net of earned discounts and estimated allowances for uncollectible accounts. Earned discounts are based on specific customer agreement terms. In determining allowances for uncollectible accounts, historical collection experience, current trends, aging of accounts receivable, and periodic credit evaluations of customers’ financial condition are reviewed.

Inventories--Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. The majority of the cost of domestic and foreign inventories is determined using the FIFO method with a portion of inventory costs determined using the average cost method. The Company reviews its inventories for excess or obsolete products or components based on an analysis of historical usage and management’s evaluation of estimated future demand, market conditions, and alternative uses for possible excess or obsolete parts.

Property, Plant, and Equipment--Property, plant, and equipment are stated at historical cost. The Company capitalizes certain computer software and software development costs incurred in connection with developing or obtaining computer software for internal use, which are included in property, plant, and equipment. Depreciation of plant and equipment is calculated on a straight line basis over the following estimated useful lives:

Maintenance, repairs, and renewals of a minor nature are expensed as incurred. Betterments and major renewals which extend the useful lives or add to the productive capacity of buildings, improvements, and equipment are capitalized. The Company reviews its property, plant, and equipment for impairment at the asset group level whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. If an indicator is present, the Company compares carrying values to undiscounted future cash flows; if the undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying value, an impairment would be recognized for the difference between the fair value and the carrying value.

Leases--The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease, or contains a lease, at the inception of the arrangement and determines whether it is an operating or financing lease. Operating and financing leases result in the Company recording a right-of-use (ROU) asset, current lease liability, and long term lease liability on its balance sheet. The Company has elected to not present leases with an initial term of 12 months or less on the balance sheet. The ROU assets and liabilities are initially recognized based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. Initial direct costs and lease incentives are not material when measuring the ROU asset present value. Lease expense for operating lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

In determining the present value, the Company utilizes interest rates from lease agreements unless the lease agreement does not provide a readily determinable rate. In these instances, the Company utilizes its incremental borrowing rate based on the Company’s borrowing information available at inception. A portion of the Company’s leases include renewal options. The Company excludes these renewal options in the expected lease term unless the Company is reasonably certain that the option will be exercised. In addition, the Company has elected not to separate non-lease components from lease components.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets--Goodwill is tested at the reporting unit level, which the Company has determined to be the North America Water Systems, International Water, Fueling Systems, and Distribution units. In compliance with FASB ASC Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other, the Company has evaluated the aggregation criteria and determined that the individual components within the North America Water Systems and International Water reporting units, respectively, can be aggregated in 2019.

In assessing the recoverability of goodwill, the Company determines the fair value of its reporting units by utilizing a combination of both the income and market valuation approaches. The income approach estimates fair value based upon future revenue, expenses, and cash flows discounted to present value. The market valuation approach estimates fair value using

An indication of impairment exists if the carrying value of the reporting unit is higher than its fair value, as determined by the above approach. The second step of testing as outlined in FASB ASC Topic 350 must be performed to measure the amount of impairment loss. The amount of impairment is determined by comparing the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill to its carrying value in the same manner as if the reporting units were being acquired in a business combination. The Company would allocate the fair value to all of the reporting unit’s assets and liabilities, including any unrecognized intangible assets, in a hypothetical analysis that would calculate the implied fair value of goodwill. The Company would record an impairment charge for the difference between the implied fair value of goodwill and the recorded goodwill.

Beginning in 2017, the Company completed its annual goodwill impairment test during the fourth quarter, using balances as of October 1. Additionally, in 2017 as a result of the Headwater acquisitions, the Company added the Distribution reporting unit. The Distribution reporting unit was subject to qualitative testing in the year of acquisition. The Company did not recognize a goodwill impairment as a result of the qualitative assessment. In 2019, all reporting units were tested using the quantitative valuation approaches described above. The Company will test goodwill for impairment more frequently if warranted by triggering events that indicate potential impairment.

The Company also tests indefinite lived intangible assets, primarily trade names, for impairment on an annual basis during the fourth quarter of each year, using balances as of October 1, or more frequently as warranted by triggering events that indicate potential impairment. In assessing the recoverability of the trade names, the Company determines the fair value using an income approach. The income approach estimates fair value based upon future revenue and estimated royalty rates. The fair value calculated for indefinite lived intangible assets is considered a Level 3 measurement within the fair value hierarchy. An indication of impairment exists if the carrying value of the trade names is higher than the fair value. The Company would record an impairment charge for the difference.

Warranty Obligations--The Company provides warranties on most of its products. The warranty terms vary but are generally 2 years to 5 years from date of manufacture or 1 year to 5 years from date of installation. Provisions for estimated expenses related to product warranty are made at the time products are sold or when specific warranty issues are identified. These estimates are established using historical information about the nature, frequency, and average cost of warranty claims. The Company actively studies trends of warranty claims and takes actions to improve product quality and minimize warranty claims. The Company believes that the warranty reserve is appropriate; however, actual claims incurred could differ from the original estimates, requiring adjustments to the reserve.

Income Taxes--Income taxes are accounted for in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes. Under this guidance, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities and net operating loss and credit carry forwards using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized. The Company records a liability for uncertain tax positions by establishing a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return.

Defined Benefit Plans--The Company makes its determination for pension, post retirement, and post employment benefit plans liabilities based on management estimates and consultation with actuaries. The Company incorporates estimates and assumptions of future plan service costs, future interest costs on projected benefit obligations, rates of compensation increases, employee turnover rates, anticipated mortality rates, expected investment returns on plan assets, asset allocation assumptions of plan assets, and other factors.

shareholders. Under the two-class method, earnings are adjusted by accretion amounts to redeemable noncontrolling interests recorded at redemption value. The adjustments represent dividend distributions, in substance, to the noncontrolling interest holder as the holders have contractual rights to receive an amount upon redemption other than the fair value of the applicable shares. As a result, earnings are adjusted to reflect this in substance distribution that is different from other common shareholders. In addition, the Company allocates net earnings to each class of common stock and participating security as if all of the net earnings for the period had been distributed. The Company’s participating securities consist of share-based payment awards that contain a non-forfeitable right to receive dividends and therefore are considered to participate in undistributed earnings with common shareholders. Basic earnings per common share excludes dilution and is calculated by dividing net earnings allocated to common shares by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per common share is calculated by dividing net earnings allocable to common shares by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period, as adjusted for the potential dilutive effect of non-participating share-based awards.

Translation of Foreign Currency Financial Statements--All assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries in functional currency other than the U.S. dollar are translated at year end exchange rates with the exception of the non-monetary assets and liabilities in countries with highly inflationary economies, which are translated at historical exchange rates. All revenue and expense accounts are translated at average rates in effect during the respective period with the exception of expenses related to the non-monetary assets and liabilities, which are translated at historical exchange rates. Adjustments for translating longer term foreign currency assets and liabilities in U.S. dollars are included as a component of other comprehensive income except for hyperinflation accounting adjustments. Transaction gains and losses that arise from shorter term exchange rate fluctuations and hyperinflation accounting adjustments are included in the “Foreign exchange income/(expense)” line within the Company’s consolidated statements of income, as incurred.

Significant Estimates--The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting periods. Significant estimates and assumptions by management affect inventory valuation, warranty, trade names and goodwill, income taxes, and pension and employee benefit obligations.