Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Business

G&K Services, Inc., founded in 1902 and headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, is a service-focused provider of branded uniform and facility services programs. We deliver value to our customers by enhancing their image and brand, and by promoting workplace safety, security and cleanliness. We accomplish this by providing a wide range of workwear and protective safety apparel through rental and direct purchase programs. We also supply a variety of facility products and services, including floor mats, towels, mops, restroom hygiene products, and first aid supplies. We also manufacture certain work apparel garments that are used to support our garment rental and direct purchase programs. We have two operating segments, United States (includes the Dominican Republic) and Canada, which have been identified as components of our organization that are reviewed by our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer to determine resource allocation and evaluate performance.

Basis of Presentation

Our Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of G&K Services, Inc. and all subsidiaries in which we have a controlling financial interest. Intercompany transactions and accounts are eliminated in consolidation.

Our fiscal year ends on the Saturday nearest June 30. All references herein to "2015," "2014" and "2013" refer to the fiscal years ended June 27, 2015, June 28, 2014 and June 29, 2013, respectively. Fiscal years 2015, 2014 and 2013 consisted of 52 weeks.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts and disclosures reported therein. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results could differ from our estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

We consider all investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are recorded net of an allowance for expected losses. The allowance, recognized as an amount equal to anticipated future write-offs, is based on the age of outstanding balances, analysis of specific accounts, historical bad debt experience and current economic trends. We generally write-off uncollectible accounts receivable after all internal avenues of collection have been exhausted.

Inventory and Merchandise in Service

Inventories consist of new goods and rental merchandise in service. New goods are stated at the lower of first-in, first-out cost or market. Merchandise placed in service to support our rental operations is amortized into cost of rental operations over the estimated useful lives of the underlying inventory items, on a straight-line basis, which results in a matching of the cost of the merchandise with the weekly rental revenue generated by the merchandise. Estimated lives of rental merchandise in service range from six months to four years. In establishing estimated lives for merchandise in service, management considers historical experience and the intended use of the merchandise.

We review the estimated useful lives of our in-service inventory assets on a periodic basis or when trends in our business indicate that the useful lives for certain products might have changed. The selection of estimated useful lives is a sensitive estimate in which a change in lives can have a material impact on our results of operations. For example, during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2013, we completed an analysis of certain in-service inventory assets which resulted in the estimated useful lives for these assets being extended to better reflect the estimated periods in which the assets will remain in service. The effect of the change in estimate increased income from operations by $6,136, net income by $3,867 and basic and diluted earnings per common share by $0.19 in fiscal year 2014 and increased income from operations by $2,605, net income by $1,655 and basic and diluted earnings per common share by $0.09 in fiscal year 2013. In addition, this change resulted in an increase in merchandise in service on the balance sheet of $8,741 and $2,605 as of June 28, 2014 and June 29, 2013, respectively.

We estimate our losses related to inventory obsolescence by examining our inventory to determine if there are indicators that carrying values exceed the net realizable value. Significant factors that could indicate the need for inventory write-downs include the age of the inventory, anticipated demand for our products, historical inventory usage, revenue trends and current economic conditions. We believe that adequate adjustments have been made in the Consolidated Financial Statements; however, in the future, product lines and customer requirements may change, which could result in an increase in obsolete inventory reserves or additional inventory impairments.

The reduction in finished goods inventory is primarily related to the sale of our Direct Sale Program Business. See Note 10, "Discontinued Operations" of "Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements" for details regarding the sale.

The components of inventories as of June 27, 2015 and June 28, 2014 are as follows:



	June 27, 2015		June 28, 2014
Raw Materials	$	6,368	$	7,952
Work in Process	975		1,279
Finished Goods	28,915		29,192
Inventory	36,258		38,423
Merchandise in service, net	133,942		124,111

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are carried at cost. Depreciation is generally computed using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:



	Life (Years)
Automobiles and trucks	3 to 8
Machinery and equipment	3 to 10
Buildings	20 to 33
Building improvements	10

Costs of significant additions, renewals and betterments are capitalized. When an asset is sold or otherwise disposed of, the related cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the respective accounts and the gain or loss on disposition is reflected in earnings. Repair and maintenance costs are charged to operating expense when incurred. Depreciation expense, which includes amortization of assets recorded under capital leases, was $30,358, $28,220 and $28,112, in fiscal years 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Environmental Costs

We accrue various environmental related costs, which consist primarily of estimated clean-up costs, fines and penalties, when it is probable that we have incurred a liability and the amount can be reasonably estimated. When a single amount cannot be reasonably estimated but the cost can be estimated within a range, we accrue the minimum estimated amount. This accrued amount reflects our assumptions regarding the nature of the remedy and the outcome of discussions with regulatory agencies. Changes in the estimates on which the accruals are based, including unanticipated government enforcement actions, or changes in environmental regulations, could result in higher or lower costs. Accordingly, as investigations and other actions proceed, it is likely that adjustments to our accruals will be necessary to reflect new information. While we cannot predict the ultimate outcome of any of these matters with certainty, we believe the possibility of a material adverse effect on our results of ongoing operations or financial position is remote, although the impact on reported operating results in any particular period may be material.

Accruals for environmental liabilities are included in the "Accrued expenses - Other" and "Other Noncurrent Liabilities" line items in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Environmental costs are capitalized if they extend the life of the related property, increase its capacity and/or mitigate or prevent future contamination. The cost of operating and maintaining environmental control equipment is charged to expense in the period incurred.

For additional information see Note 14, "Commitments and Contingencies" of "Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements".

Goodwill, Intangible Assets and Other Long-Lived Assets

The fair value of the purchase price of acquisitions in excess of the fair value of the underlying net assets is recorded as goodwill. Non-competition agreements that limit the seller from competing with us for a fixed period of time and acquired customer contracts are stated at fair value upon acquisition and are amortized over the terms of the respective agreements or estimated average life of an account, which ranges from five to 20 years.

We test goodwill for impairment in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year or upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances that indicate that the asset might be impaired. Reporting units for goodwill impairment review are operating segments, or components of an operating segment, that constitute a business for which discrete financial information is available, and for which segment management regularly reviews the operating results. Based on this analysis, we have identified two reporting units as of the fiscal year 2015 testing date. Our reporting units are U.S. Rental operations and Canadian Rental operations, with respective goodwill balances of $270,045 and $55,138, at June 27, 2015. During fiscal year 2014, we divested our Direct Sales reporting unit. There have been no other changes to our reporting units or in the allocation of goodwill to each respective reporting unit in fiscal years 2015, 2014 or 2013.

In fiscal years 2015 and 2014, we performed a qualitative assessment to test our reporting units' goodwill for impairment. Based on our qualitative assessment, we determined that it is more likely than not (i.e., a likelihood of more than 50%) that the fair value of all reporting units is greater than their carrying amount and therefore no impairment of goodwill was identified. In fiscal year 2013, we used a market valuation approach to determine the fair value of each reporting unit for our annual impairment test. The results of this test indicated that the estimated fair value exceeded the carrying value of our goodwill by more than 50% for our U.S. Rental and Canadian Rental reporting units for both fiscal years and therefore no impairment existed. All goodwill associated with our Direct Sales reporting unit had been previously impaired and written off prior to its divestiture. During the second quarter of fiscal year 2014, we recorded an impairment loss related to the divestiture of our Ireland Business of $261.

Long-lived assets, including definite-lived intangible assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by comparison of the carrying amount of the asset to the future undiscounted cash flows the asset is expected to generate. If the carrying value is not projected to be recovered by future undiscounted cash flows, the amount of any impairment is measured as the difference between the carrying value and the fair value of the impaired asset. During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2013, we recorded an impairment loss related to customer contracts totaling $1,626. See Note 10, "Discontinued Operations" of "Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements" for details on the impairment. There were no impairment charges for intangible assets in fiscal years 2015 or 2014.

Foreign Currency

For all significant foreign operations, the functional currency is the local currency. Assets and liabilities of these operations are translated at the period-end exchange rates. Income statement accounts are translated using the average exchange rates prevailing during the year. Translation adjustments are reflected within "Accumulated other comprehensive income" line in stockholders' equity of the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Gains and losses from foreign currency transactions are included in net earnings for the period and were not material in fiscal years 2015, 2014 or 2013.

Revenue Recognition

Our rental operations business is largely based on written service agreements whereby we agree to pick up soiled merchandise, launder and then deliver clean uniforms and other related products. The service agreements generally provide for weekly billing upon completion of the laundering process and delivery to the customer. Accordingly, we recognize revenue from rental operations in the period in which the services are provided. Revenue from rental operations also includes billings to customers for lost or damaged merchandise. Direct sale revenue is recognized in the period in which the product is shipped. Total revenues do not include sales tax as we consider ourselves a pass-through conduit for collecting and remitting sales tax.

Income Taxes

Provisions for federal, state, and foreign income taxes are calculated based on reported pretax earnings and current tax law. Significant judgment is required in determining income tax provisions and evaluating tax positions. We periodically assess our liabilities and uncertain tax positions for all periods that are currently open to examination or have not been effectively settled based on the most current available information. If it is not more likely than not that our tax position will be sustained, we record our best estimate of the resulting tax liability and any applicable interest and penalties in the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements using statutory rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. We present the tax effects of these deferred tax assets and liabilities separately for each major tax jurisdiction. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the results of operations in the period that the changes are enacted. We record valuation allowances to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that some portion of the asset may not be realized. We evaluate our deferred tax assets and liabilities on a periodic basis. We believe that we have adequately provided for our future income tax obligations based upon current facts, circumstances and tax law.

Derivative Financial Instruments

In the ordinary course of business, we are exposed to market risks. We utilize derivative financial instruments to manage interest rate risk and manage the total debt that is subject to variable and fixed interest rates. These interest rate swap contracts modify our exposure to interest rate risk by converting variable rate debt to a fixed rate or by locking in the benchmark interest rate on forecasted issuances of fixed rate swap contracts as cash flow hedges of the interest related to variable and fixed rate debt.

All derivative financial instruments are recognized at fair value and are recorded in the "Other noncurrent assets" or "Accrued expenses - Other" line items in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

For derivative financial instruments that are designated and qualify as cash flow hedges, the effective portion of the change in fair value on the derivative financial instrument is reported as a component of "Accumulated other comprehensive income" and reclassified into the "Interest expense" line item in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the same period as the expenses from the cash flows of the hedged items are recognized. Cash payments or receipts are included in "Net cash provided by operating activities" in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows in the same period as the cash is settled. We perform an assessment at the inception of the hedge and on a quarterly basis thereafter, to determine whether our derivatives are highly effective in offsetting changes in the value of the hedged items. Any change in the fair value resulting from hedge ineffectiveness is immediately recognized as income or expense.

We do not engage in speculative transactions or fair value hedging nor do we hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes.

Share-based Payments

We grant share-based awards, including restricted stock and options to purchase our common stock. Stock options are granted to employees and directors for a fixed number of shares with an exercise price equal to the fair value of the shares at the date of grant. Share-based compensation is recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for each separate vesting portion of the award. The amortization of share-based compensation reflects estimated forfeitures adjusted for actual forfeiture experience. As share-based compensation expense is recognized, a deferred tax asset is recorded that represents an estimate of the future tax deduction from the exercise of stock options or release of restrictions on the restricted stock. At the time share-based awards are exercised, cancelled, expire or restrictions lapse, we recognize adjustments to additional paid-in capital or income tax expense. See Note 11, "Stockholders' Equity" of "Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements" for further details.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the FASB issued updated guidance to clarify revenue recognition principles. This guidance is intended to improve disclosure requirements and enhance the comparability of revenue recognition practices. Improved disclosures under the amended guidance relate to the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue that is recognized from contracts with customers. This guidance will be effective for us beginning in the first quarter of fiscal year 2019. We are currently evaluating the impact this new guidance will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued updated guidance which changes the presentation of debt issuance costs in financial statements to present such costs in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the related debt liability rather than as an asset. Amortization of the costs is reported as interest expense. This guidance will be effective for us beginning in the first quarter of fiscal year 2017. We anticipate the implementation of this guidance will not have a material impact on the presentation of our financial position and no impact on our results of operations or cash flows.

In July 2013, the FASB issued updated guidance to address the presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit when a net operating loss carry-forward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carry-forward exists. Specifically, the new guidance requires entities to present an unrecognized tax benefit netted against certain deferred tax assets when specific requirements are met. We adopted these amendments in fiscal year 2015 and they are reflected in our fiscal year 2015 balance sheet presentation and income tax related disclosures.

In April 2015, the FASB issued updated guidance, which gives a company whose fiscal year-end does not coincide with a calendar month-end the ability, as a practical expedient, to measure defined benefit retirement obligations and related plan assets as of the calendar month-end that is closest to its fiscal year-end. Early application is permitted and should be applied prospectively. For fiscal year 2015 we early adopted this guidance and it is reflected in our employee benefit plan disclosures.

In May 2015, the FASB issued updated guidance to remove the requirement to categorize within the fair value hierarchy all investments for which fair value is measured using the net asset value per share practical expedient. This guidance also removes the requirement to make certain disclosures for all investments that are eligible to be measured at fair value using the net asset value per share practical expedient. These amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with retrospective presentation applied to all periods. Earlier application is permitted. This guidance will be effective for us beginning in the first quarter of fiscal year 2017. We anticipate the implementation of this guidance will not have a material impact on the presentation of our financial position and no impact on our results of operations or cash flows.