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DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
 
About Griffon Corporation
 
Griffon Corporation (the “Company” or “Griffon”) is a diversified management and holding company that conducts business through wholly-owned subsidiaries. Griffon oversees the operations of its subsidiaries, allocates resources among them and manages their capital structures. Griffon provides direction and assistance to its subsidiaries in connection with acquisition and growth opportunities as well as in connection with divestitures. Griffon, to further diversify, also seeks out, evaluates and, when appropriate, will acquire additional businesses that offer potentially attractive returns on capital.
 
Griffon currently conducts its operations through three segments:
 
Home & Building Products (“HBP”) consists of two companies, The Ames Companies, Inc. (“Ames”) and Clopay Building Products Company, Inc. (“CBP”):

- Ames is a global provider of non-powered landscaping products that make work easier for homeowners and professionals.

- CBP is a leading manufacturer and marketer of residential, commercial and industrial garage doors to professional installing dealers and major home center retail chains.

Telephonics Corporation (“Telephonics”) designs, develops and manufactures high-technology integrated information, communication and sensor system solutions to military and commercial markets worldwide.

Clopay Plastic Products Company, Inc. (“Plastics”) is an international leader in the development and production of embossed, laminated and printed specialty plastic films used in a variety of hygienic, health-care and industrial applications.

Basis of Presentation
 
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, these financial statements do not include all the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. As such, they should be read with reference to Griffon’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2013, which provides a more complete explanation of Griffon’s accounting policies, financial position, operating results, business properties and other matters. In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of interim results. Griffon’s HBP operations are seasonal; for this and other reasons, the financial results of the Company for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results for the full year.
 
The condensed consolidated balance sheet information at September 30, 2013 was derived from the audited financial statements included in Griffon’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2013.
 
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Griffon and all subsidiaries. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated on consolidation.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. These estimates may be adjusted due to changes in economic, industry or customer financial conditions, as well as changes in technology or demand. Significant estimates include allowances for doubtful accounts receivable and returns, net realizable value of inventories, restructuring reserves, valuation of goodwill and intangible assets, percentage of completion method of accounting, pension assumptions, useful lives associated with depreciation and amortization of intangible and fixed assets, warranty reserves, sales incentive accruals, stock based compensation assumptions, income taxes and tax valuation reserves, environmental reserves, legal reserves, insurance reserves and the valuation of discontinued assets and liabilities, and the accompanying disclosures. These estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of current events and actions Griffon may undertake in the future. Actual results may ultimately differ from these estimates.
 
Certain amounts in the prior year have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.