Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 28, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Contingencies [Text Block]

Contingencies

Environmental Matters

In connection with the purchase of Wyle Electronics ("Wyle") in August 2000, the company acquired certain of the then outstanding obligations of Wyle, including Wyle's indemnification obligations to the purchasers of its Wyle Laboratories division for environmental clean-up costs associated with any then existing contamination or violation of environmental regulations. Under the terms of the company's purchase of Wyle from the sellers, the sellers agreed to indemnify the company for certain costs associated with the Wyle environmental obligations, among other things. In 2012, the company entered into a settlement agreement with the sellers pursuant to which the sellers paid $110,000 and the company released the sellers from their indemnification obligation. As part of the settlement agreement the company accepted responsibility for any potential subsequent costs incurred related to the Wyle matters. The company is aware of two Wyle Laboratories facilities (in Huntsville, Alabama and Norco, California) at which contaminated groundwater was identified and will require environmental remediation. In addition, the company was named as a defendant in several lawsuits related to the Norco facility and a third site in El Segundo, California which have now been settled to the satisfaction of the parties.

The company expects these environmental liabilities to be resolved over an extended period of time. Costs are recorded for environmental matters when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated. Accruals for environmental liabilities are adjusted periodically as facts and circumstances change, assessment and remediation efforts progress, or as additional technical or legal information becomes available. Environmental liabilities are difficult to assess and estimate due to various unknown factors such as the timing and extent of remediation, improvements in remediation technologies, and the extent to which environmental laws and regulations may change in the future. Accordingly, the company cannot presently estimate the ultimate potential costs related to these sites until such time as a substantial portion of the investigation at the sites is completed and remedial action plans are developed and, in some instances, implemented. To the extent that future environmental costs exceed amounts currently accrued by the company, net income would be adversely impacted and such impact could be material.

Accruals for environmental liabilities are included in “Accrued expenses” and “Other liabilities” in the company’s consolidated balance sheets. The company has determined that there is no amount within the environmental liability range that is a better estimate than any other amount, and therefore has recorded the accruals at the minimum amount of the ranges.

As successor-in-interest to Wyle, the company is the beneficiary of various Wyle insurance policies that covered liabilities arising out of operations at Norco and Huntsville. To date, the company has recovered approximately $37,000 from certain insurance carriers relating to environmental clean-up matters at the Norco site. The company is considering the best way to pursue its potential claims against insurers regarding liabilities arising out of operations at Huntsville. The resolution of these matters will likely take several years. The company has not recorded a receivable for any potential future insurance recoveries related to the Norco and Huntsville environmental matters, as the realization of the claims for recovery are not deemed probable at this time.

Environmental Matters - Huntsville

In February 2015, the company and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (“ADEM”) finalized and executed a consent decree in connection with the Huntsville, Alabama site. Characterization of the extent of contaminated soil and groundwater is complete and has been approved by ADEM. Health-risk evaluations and a Corrective Action Development Plan were approved by ADEM in 2018, opening the way for pilot testing of on-site remediation in late 2019. Pilot testing is currently underway. Approximately $6,900 was spent to date and the company currently anticipates no additional investigative and related expenditures. The cost of subsequent remediation at the site is estimated to be between $3,500 and $10,000.

Despite the amount of work undertaken and planned to date, the company is unable to estimate any potential costs in addition to those discussed above because the complete scope of the work is not yet known, and, accordingly, the associated costs have yet to be determined.

Environmental Matters - Norco

In October 2003, the company entered into a consent decree with Wyle Laboratories and the California Department of Toxic Substance Control (the “DTSC”) in connection with the Norco site. Subsequent to the decree, a Remedial Investigation Work Plan was approved by DTSC in April 2005, the required investigations were performed, and a final Remedial Investigation Report was submitted early in 2008. In 2008, a hydraulic containment system (“HCS”) was installed as an interim remedial measure to capture and treat groundwater before it moves into the adjacent off-site area. In September 2013, the DTSC approved the final Remedial Action Plan (“RAP”) for actions in five on-site areas and one off-site area. As of 2018, the remediation measures described in the RAP had been implemented and were being monitored. A Five Year Review (“FYR”) of the HCS submitted to DTSC in December 2016 found that while significant progress was made in on-site and off-site groundwater remediation, contaminants were not sufficiently reduced in a key off-site area identified in the RAP. This exception triggered the need for additional off-site remediation that began in 2018 and was completed in mid-2019. Routine progress monitoring of groundwater and soil gas continue on-site and off-site.

Approximately $74,300 was spent to date on remediation, project management, regulatory oversight, and investigative and feasibility study activities. The company currently estimates that these activities will give rise to an additional $7,400 to $18,300. Project management and regulatory oversight include costs incurred by project consultants for project management and costs billed by DTSC to provide regulatory oversight.

Despite the amount of work undertaken and planned to date, the company is unable to estimate any potential costs in addition to those discussed above because the complete scope of the work under the RAP is not yet known, and, accordingly, the associated costs have yet to be determined.

Other

In 2019, the company determined that from 2015 to 2019 a limited number of non-executive employees, without first obtaining required authorization from the company or the United States government, had facilitated product shipments with an aggregate total invoiced value of approximately $4,770, to resellers for reexports to persons covered by the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 or other United States sanctions and export control laws. The company has voluntarily reported these activities to the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) and the United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”), conducted an internal investigation and terminated or disciplined the employees involved. The company has cooperated fully and intends to continue to cooperate fully with OFAC and BIS with respect to their review, which may result in the imposition of penalties, which we are currently not able to estimate. 

During the first quarter, the company recorded reserves and other adjustments of approximately $32,700 primarily related to foreign tax and other loss contingencies. These reserves are principally associated with transactional taxes on activity from several prior years, not significant to any one year.

From time to time, in the normal course of business, the company may become liable with respect to other pending and threatened litigation, environmental, regulatory, labor, product, and tax matters. While such matters are subject to inherent uncertainties, it is not currently anticipated that any such matters will materially impact the company’s consolidated financial position, liquidity, or results of operations.