1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Nature of Operations – Thor Industries, Inc. was founded in 1980 and, through its subsidiaries, manufactures a wide range of recreational vehicles at various manufacturing facilities primarily in Indiana and Ohio, with additional facilities in Oregon and Idaho. These products are sold to independent dealers primarily throughout the United States and Canada. Unless the context otherwise requires or indicates, all references to “Thor”, the “Company”, “we”, “our” and “us” refer to Thor Industries, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

The Company’s ongoing business activities are primarily comprised of two distinct operations, which include the design, manufacture and sale of towable recreational vehicles and motorized recreational vehicles. Accordingly, the Company has presented segmented financial information for these two segments in Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements. See Note 3, “Discontinued Operations,” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of the Company’s bus operations which were sold as of October 20, 2013. Accordingly, the accompanying financial statements (including footnote disclosures unless otherwise indicated) reflect these operations as discontinued operations apart from the Company’s continuing operations.

Principles of Consolidation – The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Thor Industries, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated upon consolidation.

Estimates – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amount of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Key estimates include reserves for inventory, incurred but not reported medical claims, warranty claims, recalls, workers’ compensation claims, vehicle repurchases, uncertain tax positions, product and non-product litigation and assumptions made in asset impairment assessments. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The Company believes that such estimates are made using consistent and appropriate methods. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents – Interest-bearing deposits and other investments with maturities of three months or less when purchased are considered cash equivalents. At July 31, 2016 and 2015, cash and cash equivalents of $164,696 and $170,231, respectively, were held by one financial institution. The remaining $45,206 and $13,247 at July 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, were held at various other financial institutions.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments – The carrying amount of cash equivalents, investments, accounts receivable, notes receivable and accounts payable approximate fair value because of the relatively short maturity of these financial instruments. The carrying value of the Company’s long-term debt approximates fair value as the entire balance is subject to variable market interest rates that the Company believes are market rates for a similarly situated Company. The fair value of debt is largely estimated using level 2 inputs as defined by ASC820.

Inventories – Certain inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, determined on the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) basis with the remainder being valued on a first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) basis. Manufacturing costs include materials, labor, freight-in and manufacturing overhead. Unallocated overhead and abnormal costs are expensed as incurred.

Depreciation – Property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows:

Buildings and improvements – 10 to 39 years

Machinery and equipment – 3 to 10 years

Depreciation expense is recorded in cost of products sold except for $3,812, $2,362 and $2,542 in fiscal 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, which relates primarily to office buildings and office equipment and is recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses.

Intangible Assets – Intangible assets consist of goodwill, trademarks, dealer networks/customer relationships, design technology assets and non-compete agreements. Trademarks are being amortized on a straight-line basis over 15 to 25 years. Dealer networks/customer relationships are amortized on an accelerated basis over 12 to 20 years, and design technology assets and non-compete agreements are amortized using the straight-line method over 2 to 15 years. Backlog is amortized using a straight-line basis method over 2 to 3 months. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested at least annually for impairment. Goodwill is reviewed for impairment by applying a fair-value based test on an annual basis at April 30, or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate a potential impairment.

Long-lived Assets – Property, plant and equipment and identifiable intangibles that are amortized are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable from future cash flows. If the carrying value of a long-lived asset is impaired, an impairment charge is recorded for the amount by which the carrying value of the long-lived asset exceeds its fair value.

Product Warranties – Estimated warranty costs are provided at the time of sale of the related products. Warranty reserves are reviewed and adjusted as necessary on at least a quarterly basis.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts – The allowance for doubtful accounts represents management’s estimate of probable credit losses in existing accounts receivable, as determined from a review of past due balances and other specific account information.

A summary of allowance for doubtful accounts activity is as follows:


	2016		2015		2014
Beginning balance	$	1,283	$	348	$	157
Net recorded expense (income)		(9)		359		63
Write-offs, net of recoveries/payments		(679)		(67)		(72)
Acquisitions		30		643		200

Ending balance	$	625	$	1,283	$	348

Insurance Reserves – Generally, the Company is self-insured for workers’ compensation, products liability and group medical insurance. Under these plans, liabilities are recognized for claims incurred, including those incurred but not reported. The liability for workers’ compensation claims is determined by the Company with the assistance of a third party administrator and actuary using various state statutes and historical claims experience. Group medical reserves are estimated using historical claims experience. The Company has a self-insured retention (“SIR”) for products liability and personal injury matters ranging from $500 to $7,500 per occurrence, depending on the product type and when the occurrence took place. Generally, any occurrence (as defined by our insurance policies) after March 31, 2015 is subject to the $500 SIR, while matters occurring after March 31, 2014 and through March 31, 2015 are subject to a $1,000 SIR. The Company has established a liability on our balance sheet for product liability and personal injury occurrences based on historical data, known cases and actuarial information. Currently, the Company maintains excess liability insurance aggregating $50,000 with outside insurance carriers to minimize our risks related to catastrophic claims in excess of our self-insured positions for products liability and personal injury matters.

Revenue Recognition – Revenues from the sale of recreational vehicles are recorded primarily when all of the following conditions have been met:

1)	An order for a product has been received from a dealer;

2)	Written or oral approval for payment has been received from the dealer’s flooring institution, if applicable;

3)	A common carrier signs the delivery ticket accepting responsibility for the product as agent for the dealer; and

4)	The product is removed from the Company’s property for delivery to the dealer who placed the order.

These conditions are generally met when title passes, which is when vehicles are shipped to dealers in accordance with shipping terms, which are primarily FOB shipping point. Most sales are made to dealers financing their purchases under flooring arrangements with banks or finance companies. Certain shipments are sold to customers on credit or cash on delivery (“COD”) terms. The Company recognizes revenue on credit sales upon shipment and COD sales upon payment and delivery. Products are not sold on consignment, dealers do not have the right to return products and dealers are typically responsible for interest costs to floor plan lenders.

At the time of revenue recognition, amounts billed to dealers for delivery of product are recognized as revenue and the corresponding delivery expense charged to costs of products sold.

Revenues from the sale of extruded aluminum components are recognized when title to products and the risk of loss are transferred to the customer, which is generally upon shipment.

Dealer Volume Rebates, Sales Incentives and Advertising Costs – Estimated costs related to dealer volume rebates and sales incentives are accrued as a reduction of revenue at the later of the time products are sold or the date the rebate or incentive is offered. Advertising costs, which consist primarily of tradeshows, are expensed as incurred, and were $14,472, $12,515 and $9,492 in fiscal 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Repurchase Agreements – The Company is contingently liable under terms of repurchase agreements with financial institutions providing inventory financing for certain dealers of certain of its products. These arrangements, which are customary in the industry, provide for the repurchase of products sold to dealers in the event of default by the dealer. The risk of loss from these agreements is spread over numerous dealers. In addition to the guarantee under these repurchase agreements, we may also be required to repurchase inventory relative to dealer terminations in certain states in accordance with state laws or regulatory requirements. The repurchase price is generally determined by the original sales price of the product and pre-defined curtailment arrangements and the Company typically resells the repurchased product at a discount from its repurchase price. The Company accounts for the guarantee under its repurchase agreements with our dealers’ financing institutions by estimating and deferring a portion of the related product sale that represents the estimated fair value of the repurchase obligation. The estimated fair value takes into account our estimate of the loss we will incur upon resale of any repurchases. This estimate is based on recent historical experience supplemented by management’s assessment of current economic and other conditions affecting our dealers. This deferred amount is included in our repurchase and guarantee reserve which is included in other current liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Income Taxes – The objectives of accounting for income taxes are to recognize the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current year and deferred tax liabilities and assets for the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our financial statements or tax returns. Judgment is required in assessing the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our financial statements or tax returns. Fluctuations in the actual outcome of these tax consequences could materially impact our financial position or results of operations.

The Company recognizes liabilities for uncertain tax positions based on a two-step process. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. The second step requires the Company to estimate and measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement. It is inherently difficult and subjective to estimate such amounts, as the Company has to determine the probability of various possible outcomes. The Company reevaluates these uncertain tax positions on a quarterly basis. This evaluation is based on factors including, but not limited to, changes in facts or circumstances, changes in tax law, effectively settled issues under audit, voluntary settlements and new audit activity. Such a change in recognition or measurement would result in the recognition of a tax benefit or an additional charge to the tax provision.

Significant judgment is required in determining the Company’s provision for income taxes, the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities and the valuation allowance recorded against the Company’s deferred tax assets, if any. Valuation allowances must be considered due to the uncertainty of realizing deferred tax assets. Companies must assess whether valuation allowances should be established against their deferred tax assets on a tax jurisdictional basis based on the consideration of all available evidence, using a more likely than not standard. The Company has evaluated the realizability of our deferred tax assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets which includes the assessment of the cumulative income over recent prior periods.

See the “Accounting Pronouncements” section below regarding the Company’s prospective adoption in fiscal 2016 of the new FASB standard regarding the balance sheet classification of deferred taxes.

Earnings Per Share – Basic earnings per common share (“EPS”) are computed by dividing net income by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding assuming dilution. The difference between basic EPS and diluted EPS is the result of outstanding stock options, unvested restricted stock and restricted stock units as follows:


	2016		2015		2014
Weighted-average shares outstanding for basic earnings per share		52,458,789		53,166,206		53,270,076
Stock options, unvested restricted stock and restricted stock units		131,727		109,304		91,614

Weighted-average shares outstanding assuming dilution		52,590,516		53,275,510		53,361,690

The Company excludes stock options, unvested restricted stock and restricted stock units that have an antidilutive effect from its calculation of weighted-average shares outstanding assuming dilution, but had none at July 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-09 (“ASU 2016-09”) “Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting,” which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the accounting for the related income taxes, forfeitures, statutory tax withholding requirements and classification in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those annual reporting periods. This standard is effective for the Company in its fiscal 2018 beginning on August 1, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this ASU on its consolidated financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-17 (“ASU 2015-17”) “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes,” to simplify the presentation of deferred income taxes. Under the new standard, both deferred tax liabilities and assets are required to be classified as noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. ASU 2015-17 is effective for fiscal years, and the interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016 with early adoption permitted. This standard is effective for the Company in its fiscal year 2018 beginning on August 1, 2017, however, the Company elected to early adopt this standard beginning with the year ended July 31, 2016 and apply the standard prospectively. As a result, $67,344 of net current deferred tax assets and $13,927 of net long-term deferred income tax liabilities were netted together and reclassified to non-current deferred income taxes on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of July 31, 2016. As permitted by the standard, prior periods were not retrospectively adjusted.

In September 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-16 (“ASU 2015-16”) “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement Period Adjustments,” to simplify the accounting for measurement-period adjustments in a business combination. Under the new standard, an acquirer must recognize adjustments to provisional amounts in a business combination in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined, rather than retrospectively adjusting the provisional amounts recognized at the acquisition date with a corresponding adjustment to goodwill as under current guidance. ASU 2015-16 is effective for fiscal years, and the interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. This standard is effective for the Company in its fiscal year 2017 beginning on August 1, 2016. The Company will apply this standard prospectively to adjustments to provisional amounts that occur after the effective date. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the ASU on its consolidated financial statements.

In July 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-11 (“ASU 2015-11”) “Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory.” ASU 2015-11 requires inventory measured using any method other than last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) or the retail inventory method to be subsequently measured at the lower of cost or net realizable value, rather than at the lower of cost or market. Under this ASU, subsequent measurement of inventory using the LIFO and retail inventory method is unchanged. ASU 2015-11 is effective prospectively for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016. The standard is effective for the Company in its fiscal year 2018 beginning on August 1, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this ASU on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606),” which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. This standard will supersede most current revenue recognition guidance. Under the new standard, entities are required to identify the contract with a customer, identify the separate performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the separate performance obligations in the contract and recognize the appropriate amount of revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies each performance obligation. The standard is effective for fiscal years, and the interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. The standard is effective for the Company in its fiscal year 2019 beginning on August 1, 2018. Entities have the option of using either retrospective transition or a modified approach in applying the new standard. The Company is currently evaluating the approach it will use to apply the new standard and the impact that the adoption of the new standard will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.