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Risks, Uncertainties, Contingencies and Litigation
 12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Risks, Uncertainties, Contingencies and Litigation [Abstract]  
Risks, Uncertainties, Contingencies and Litigation

Note 20: Risks, Uncertainties, Contingencies and Litigation

COVID-19
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, a pandemic.  The spread of COVID-19 and the resulting work and travel restrictions, including international border closings, have disrupted, and may continue to disrupt, global supply chains and have negatively impacted the global economy.  As a result of this pandemic, the Company has experienced significant impacts on its operations and has suspended production at certain manufacturing facilities in China, India, Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, the U.S., Mexico and Brazil due to local government requirements or customer shutdowns and is operating other facilities in the U.S. and abroad at reduced capacity levels.  Although the temporarily-closed facilities have since reopened, many are operating at a significantly reduced volume because of low customer demand.  The Company is focused on protecting the health and wellbeing of its employees and the communities in which it operates, while also ensuring the continuity of its business operations and timely delivery of quality products and services to its customers.  Beginning largely in April 2020 and in an effort to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19, the Company has taken actions, including, but not limited to, production staffing adjustments, furloughs, shortened work weeks, and temporary salary reductions at all levels of our organization.  In addition, the Company is focused on reducing operating and administrative expenses.

The Company’s consolidated financial statements reflect estimates and assumptions made by management, including assumptions regarding the future impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods presented.  For example, assets particularly sensitive to assumptions that could be adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic include goodwill and deferred tax assets.  While the Company believes it used appropriate estimates and assumptions to prepare the consolidated financial statements, actual amounts could differ materially and future events or circumstances could have a potential negative effect on the assumptions used.  If the Company, its suppliers, or its customers experience further shutdowns or other significant business disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, its ability to conduct business in the manner and on the timelines presently planned could be materially and negatively impacted, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Market Risk
The Company sells a broad range of products that provide thermal solutions to customers operating in diverse markets, including the automotive, commercial vehicle, off-highway, and commercial, industrial, and building HVAC&R markets.  The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted these markets; the duration and severity of the impacts of COVID-19 on these markets are currently uncertain.

Credit Risk
The Company invests excess cash primarily in investment quality, short-term liquid debt instruments.  Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist principally of accounts receivable.  The Company sells a broad range of products that provide thermal solutions to customers operating throughout the world. In fiscal 2020, one customer within the VTS segment accounted for more than ten percent of the Company’s total sales. In fiscal 2019 and 2018, two customers within the VTS segment each accounted for ten percent or more of the Company’s total sales.  Sales to the Company’s top ten customers were 45 percent, 50 percent, and 48 percent of total sales in fiscal 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.  At March 31, 2020 and 2019, 34 percent and 38 percent, respectively, of the Company's trade accounts receivable were due from the Company's top ten customers.  These customers operate primarily in the automotive, commercial vehicle, off-highway, data center cooling and commercial air conditioning markets.  Collateral or advanced payments are generally not required.  The Company has not experienced significant credit losses to customers in the markets served nor has experienced a significant increase in credit losses in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Company manages credit risk through its focus on the following:

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Cash and investments – reviewing cash deposits and short-term investments to ensure banks have credit ratings acceptable to the Company and that short-term investments are maintained in secured or guaranteed instruments;
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Accounts receivable – performing periodic customer credit evaluations and actively monitoring their financial condition and applicable business news;
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Pension assets – ensuring that investments within pension plans provide appropriate diversification, monitoring of investment teams, ensuring that portfolio managers adhere to the Company’s investment policies and directives, and ensuring that exposure to high risk investments is limited; and
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Insurance – ensuring that insurance providers maintain financial ratings that are acceptable to the Company.

Counterparty Risk
The Company manages counterparty risk through its focus on the following:

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Customers – performing thorough reviews of customer credit reports and accounts receivable aging reports by internal credit committees;
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Suppliers – maintaining a supplier risk management program and utilizing industry sources to identify and mitigate high risk situations; and
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Derivatives – ensuring that counterparties to derivative instruments maintain credit ratings that are acceptable to the Company.

Environmental
The Company has recorded environmental investigation and remediation accruals related to soil and groundwater contamination at manufacturing facilities in the United States, one of which the Company currently owns and operates, and at its former manufacturing facility in the Netherlands, along with accruals for lesser environmental matters at certain other facilities in the United States and Brazil.  These accruals generally relate to facilities where past operations followed practices and procedures that were considered acceptable under then-existing regulations, or where the Company is a successor to the obligations of prior owners, and current laws and regulations require investigative and/or remedial work to ensure sufficient environmental compliance.  The accruals for these environmental matters totaled $18.2 million and $18.9 million at March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.  As additional information becomes available, the Company will re-assess the liabilities related to these matters and revise the estimated accruals, if necessary.  Based upon currently available information, the Company believes the ultimate outcome of these matters, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on its financial position.  However, these matters are subject to inherent uncertainties, and unfavorable outcomes could occur, including significant monetary damages.

Other Litigation
In the normal course of business, the Company and its subsidiaries are named as defendants in various lawsuits and enforcement proceedings by private parties, governmental agencies and/or others in which claims are asserted against Modine.  The Company believes that any additional loss in excess of amounts already accrued would not have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet, results of operations, and cash flows.  In addition, management expects that the liabilities which may ultimately result from such lawsuits or proceedings, if any, would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position.