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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Principles of Consolidation.    The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts and transactions of TriMas and its subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions have been eliminated.
Use of Estimates.    The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management of the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Such estimates and assumptions also affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include the carrying amount of property and equipment, goodwill and other intangibles, valuation allowances for receivables, inventories and deferred income tax assets, valuation of derivatives, estimated future unrecoverable lease costs, reserves for asbestos and ordinary course litigation, assets and obligations related to employee benefits and estimated unrecognized tax benefits. Actual results may differ from such estimates and assumptions.
Cash and Cash Equivalents.    The Company considers cash on hand and on deposit and investments in all highly liquid debt instruments with initial maturities of three months or less to be cash and cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents also includes restricted cash held on deposit with a financial institution as cash collateral for the Company's outstanding letters of credit. See Note 8, "Cash and Cash Equivalents," for further details regarding the Company's cash and cash equivalents.
Receivables.    Receivables are presented net of allowances for doubtful accounts of approximately $1.6 million and $2.1 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company monitors its exposure for credit losses and maintains allowances for doubtful accounts based upon the Company's best estimate of probable losses inherent in the accounts receivable balances. The Company does not believe that significant credit risk exists due to its diverse customer base.
Inventories.    Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined using the first-in, first-out method. Direct materials, direct labor and allocations of variable and fixed manufacturing-related overhead are included in inventory cost.
Property and Equipment.    Property and equipment additions, including significant improvements, are recorded at cost. Upon retirement or disposal of property and equipment, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts, and any gain or loss is included in the accompanying statement of operations. Repair and maintenance costs are charged to expense as incurred.
Depreciation and Amortization.    Depreciation is computed principally using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Annual depreciation rates are as follows: building and land/building improvements three to 40 years, and machinery and equipment, three to 15 years. Capitalized debt issuance costs are amortized over the underlying terms of the related debt securities. Customer relationship intangibles are amortized over periods ranging from five to 25 years, while technology and other intangibles are amortized over periods ranging from one to 30 years.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Definite-Lived Intangible Assets.    The Company reviews, on at least a quarterly basis, the financial performance of its businesses for indicators of impairment. In reviewing for impairment indicators, the Company also considers events or changes in circumstances such as business prospects, customer retention, market trends, potential product obsolescence, competitive activities and other economic factors. An impairment loss is recognized when the carrying value of an asset group exceeds the future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by that asset group. The impairment loss recognized is the amount by which the carrying value of the asset group exceeds its fair value.
Goodwill.    The Company assesses goodwill for impairment on an annual basis (October 1 test date) by reviewing relevant qualitative and quantitative factors. More frequent evaluations may be required if the Company experiences changes in its business climate or as a result of other triggering events that take place. An impairment loss is recognized when the carrying value of a reporting unit's goodwill exceeds its fair value.
The Company determines its reporting units at the individual operating segment level, or one level below, when there is discrete financial information available that is regularly reviewed by segment management to evaluate operating results. For purposes of the Company's 2021 goodwill impairment test, the Company had five reporting units, three of which had goodwill, within its three reportable segments.  
The Company begins its goodwill reviews by conducting a qualitative assessment, considering relevant events and circumstances that affect the fair value or carrying amount of a reporting unit. Such events and circumstances can include macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, overall financial performance, entity and reporting unit specific events, and capital markets pricing. The Company considers the extent to which any identified adverse events and circumstances affect the comparison of a reporting unit's fair value with its carrying amount. The Company places more weight on the events and circumstances that most affect a reporting unit's fair value or the carrying amount of its net assets. The Company considers positive and mitigating events and circumstances that may affect its determination of whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. The Company also considers recent valuations of its reporting units, including the difference between the most recent fair value estimate and the carrying amount. Each of these factors is considered by management in reaching its conclusion about whether a quantitative goodwill impairment test is necessary to estimate the fair value of its reporting units.
If the Company concludes that conducting a quantitative assessment is required, it performs a quantitative goodwill impairment test. When conducting a quantitative goodwill impairment test, the Company determines the fair value of the reporting unit being evaluated utilizing a combination of three valuation techniques: discounted cash flow (income approach), market comparable method (market approach) and market capitalization (direct market data method). The income approach is based on management's operating plan and internal five-year forecast and utilizes forward-looking assumptions and projections, on a discounted basis, but considers factors unique to each reporting unit and related long-range plans that may not be comparable to other companies and that are not yet public. The market approach considers potentially comparable companies and transactions within the industries where the Company's reporting units participate, and applies their trading multiples to the financial projections of the Company's reporting units. This approach utilizes data from actual marketplace transactions, but reliance on its results is limited by difficulty in identifying companies that are specifically comparable to the Company's reporting units, considering the diversity of the Company's businesses, the relative sizes and levels of complexity. The Company also uses the direct market data method by comparing its book value and the estimates of fair value of the reporting units to the Company's market capitalization. Management uses this comparison as additional evidence of the fair value of the Company, as its market capitalization may be suppressed by other factors such as the control premium associated with a controlling shareholder, the Company's degree of leverage and the float of the Company's common stock. Management evaluates and weights the results based on a combination of the income and market approaches, and, in situations where the income approach results differ significantly from the market and direct data approaches, management re-evaluates and adjusts, if necessary, its assumptions.
Based on the quantitative test, if it is determined that the carrying value of the reporting unit is higher than its fair value, goodwill is impaired and is written down to the fair value amount; however, the loss recognized will not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. See Note 9, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets," for further details regarding the Company's goodwill impairment testing.
Indefinite-Lived Intangibles. The Company assesses indefinite-lived intangible assets (primarily trademark/trade names) for impairment on an annual basis (October 1 test date) by reviewing relevant qualitative and quantitative factors. More frequent evaluations may be required if the Company experiences changes in its business climate or as a result of other triggering events that take place. An impairment loss is recognized when the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair value.
In conducting a qualitative assessment, the Company considers relevant events and circumstances to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair values of the indefinite-lived intangible assets are less than the carrying values. In addition to the events and circumstances that the Company considers above in its qualitative analysis for potential goodwill impairment, the Company also considers legal, regulatory and contractual factors that could affect the fair value or carrying amount of the Company's indefinite-lived intangible assets. The Company also considers recent valuations of its indefinite-lived intangible assets, including the difference between the most recent fair value estimates and the carrying amounts. These factors are all considered by management in reaching its conclusion about whether it is more likely than not that the fair values of the indefinite-lived intangible assets are less than the carrying values. If management concludes that further testing is required, the Company performs a quantitative valuation to estimate the fair value of its indefinite-lived intangible assets. In conducting the quantitative impairment analysis, the Company determines the fair value of its indefinite-lived intangible assets using the relief-from-royalty method. The relief-from-royalty method involves the estimation of appropriate market royalty rates for the indefinite-lived intangible assets and the application of these royalty rates to forecasted net sales attributable to the intangible assets. The resulting cash flows are then discounted to present value, using a rate appropriately reflecting the risks inherent in the cash flows, which then is compared to the carrying value of the assets. If the carrying value exceeds fair value, an impairment is recorded. See Note 9, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets," for further details regarding the Company's indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment testing.
High Deductible Insurance.    The Company generally has high deductible insurance programs for losses and liabilities related to workers' compensation, health and welfare claims and comprehensive general, product and vehicle liability. The Company is generally responsible for up to $0.8 million per occurrence under its retention program for workers' compensation, up to $1.5 million per occurrence under its retention programs for comprehensive general, product and vehicle liability, and has a $0.4 million per occurrence stop-loss limit with respect to its group medical plan. Total insurance limits under these retention programs vary by year for comprehensive general, product and vehicle liability and extend to the applicable statutory limits for workers' compensation. Reserves for claims losses, including an estimate of related litigation defense costs, are recorded based upon the Company's estimates of the aggregate liability for claims incurred using actuarial assumptions about future events. Changes in assumptions for factors such as medical costs and actual experience could cause these estimates to change.
Pension Plans.    The Company engages independent actuaries to compute the amounts of liabilities and expenses under defined benefit pension plans, subject to the assumptions that the Company determines are appropriate based on historical trends, current market rates and future projections. Assumptions used in the actuarial calculations could have a significant impact on plan obligations, and a lesser impact on current period expense. Annually, the Company reviews the actual experience compared to the significant assumptions used and makes adjustments to the assumptions, if warranted. Discount rates are based on an expected benefit payments duration analysis and the equivalent average yield rate for high-quality fixed-income investments. Pension benefits are funded through deposits with trustees and the expected long-term rate of return on fund assets is based on actual historical returns and a review of other public company pension asset return data, modified for known changes in the market and any expected change in investment policy. See Note 18, “Employee Benefit Plans,” for further information.
Asbestos-related Matters. The Company accrues loss reserves for asbestos-related matters based upon an estimate of the ultimate liability for claims incurred, whether reported or not, including an estimate of future settlement costs and costs to defend. The Company utilizes known facts and historical trends for Company-specific and general market asbestos-related activity, as well as an actuarial valuation in determining estimated required reserves which it believes are probable and reasonably estimable. Asbestos-related accruals are assessed at each balance sheet date to determine if the liability remains reasonably stated. Accruals for asbestos-related matters are included in the consolidated balance sheet in “Accrued liabilities” and “Other long-term liabilities.” See Note 17, “Commitments and Contingencies,” for further information.
Revenue Recognition.    Revenue is recognized when control of promised goods is transferred to customers, which generally occurs when products are shipped from the Company’s facilities to its customers. The amount of revenue recorded reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for transferring those goods. Net sales are comprised of gross revenues, based on observed stand-alone selling prices, less estimates of expected returns, trade discounts and customer allowances, which include incentives such as volume and other discounts in connection with various supply programs. Such deductions are estimated and recorded during the period the related revenue is recognized. The Company may adjust these estimates when the expected amount of consideration changes based on sales volumes or other contractual terms. Sales and other consumption taxes the Company collects from customers and remits to government agencies are excluded from revenue. The Company accounts for freight and shipping costs that occur after control of the related goods transfer to the customer as a fulfillment cost within cost of sales. The nature and timing of the Company's revenue transactions are similar, as substantially all revenue is based on point-in-time transactions with customers under industry-standard payment terms. The Company may require shortened payment terms, including cash-in-advance, on an individual customer basis depending on its assessment of the customer's credit worthiness.
Cost of Sales.    Cost of sales includes material, labor and overhead costs incurred in the manufacture of products sold in the period. Material costs include raw material, purchased components, outside processing and freight costs. Overhead costs consist of variable and fixed manufacturing costs, wages and fringe benefits, and purchasing, receiving and inspection costs.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses.    Selling, general and administrative expenses include the following: costs related to the advertising, sale, marketing and distribution of the Company's products, amortization of customer intangible assets, costs of finance, human resources, legal functions, executive management costs and other administrative expenses.
Income Taxes.    The Company computes income taxes using the asset and liability method, whereby deferred income taxes using current enacted tax rates are provided for the temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of assets and liabilities and for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. The Company determines valuation allowances based on an assessment of positive and negative evidence on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis and records a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount more likely than not to be realized. The Company recognizes the effect of income tax positions only if those positions are more likely than not of being sustained. Recognized income tax positions are measured at the largest amount that is greater than 50% likely of being realized. Changes in recognition or measurement are reflected in the period in which the change in judgment occurs. The Company records interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. See Note 23, "Income Taxes," for further information.
Foreign Currency Translation.    The financial statements of subsidiaries located outside of the United States are measured using the currency of the primary economic environment in which they operate as the functional currency. When translating into U.S. dollars, income and expense items are translated at average monthly exchange rates and assets and liabilities are translated at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Adjustments resulting from translating the functional currency into U.S. dollars are deferred as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) ("AOCI") in the consolidated statement of shareholders' equity. The impact of net foreign currency transactions was an approximate loss of $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, and approximate gains of $0.6 million and $0.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and are included in other expense, net in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations.
Derivative Financial Instruments.    The Company records derivative financial instruments at fair value on the balance sheet as either assets or liabilities, and changes in their fair values are immediately recognized in earnings if the derivatives do not qualify as effective hedges. If a derivative is designated as a fair value hedge, then changes in the fair value of the derivative are offset against the changes in the fair value of the underlying hedged item. If a derivative is designated as a cash flow hedge, then the effective portion of the changes in the fair value of the derivative is recognized as a component of other comprehensive income until the underlying hedged item is recognized in earnings or the forecasted transaction is no longer probable of occurring. If a derivative is designated as a net investment hedge, then the effective portion of the changes in the fair value of the derivative is recognized in other comprehensive income and will be subsequently reclassified to earnings when the hedged net investment is either sold or substantially liquidated. The Company formally documents hedging relationships for its derivative transactions and the underlying hedged items, as well as its risk management objectives and strategies for undertaking the hedge transactions. See Note 14, "Derivative Instruments," for further information.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments.   In accounting for and disclosing the fair value of financial instruments, the Company uses the following hierarchy:
Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date;
Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly; and
Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.
Valuation of the Company's interest rate swaps and cross-currency swaps are based on the income approach, which uses observable inputs such as interest rate yield curves and forward currency exchange rates, as applicable.
The carrying value of financial instruments reported in the balance sheet for current assets and current liabilities approximates fair value due to the short maturity of these instruments.
Business Combinations. The Company records assets acquired and liabilities assumed from acquisitions at fair value. The fair value of working capital accounts generally approximates book value. The valuation of inventory, property, plant and equipment, and intangible assets requires significant assumptions. Inventory is recorded at fair value based on the estimated selling price less costs to sell, including completion, disposal and holding period costs with a reasonable profit margin. Property and equipment is recorded at fair value using a combination of both the cost and market approaches for both the real and personal property acquired. Under the cost approach, consideration is given to the amount required to construct or purchase a new asset of equal value at current prices, with adjustments in value for physical deterioration, as well as functional and economic obsolescence. Under the market approach, recent transactions for similar types of assets are used as the basis for estimating fair value. For trademark/trade names and technology and other intangible assets, the estimated fair value is based on projected discounted future net cash flows using the relief-from-royalty method. For customer relationship intangible assets, the estimated fair value is based on projected discounted future cash flows using the excess earnings method. The relief-from-royalty and excess earnings method are both income approaches that utilize key assumptions such as forecasts of revenue and expenses over an extended period of time, royalty rate percentages, tax rates, and estimated costs of debt and equity capital to discount the projected cash flows.
Stock-based Compensation.  The Company recognizes compensation expense related to equity awards based on their fair values as of the grant date. For awards with only a service condition, expense is recognized ratably over the vesting period. Performance based equity awards may have targets tied to performance and/or market-based conditions. Market-based conditions are taken into consideration in determining the grant date fair value, and the related compensation expense is recognized regardless of whether the market condition is satisfied, provided the requisite service has been provided. For performance condition components, the Company periodically updates the probability that the performance conditions will be achieved and adjusts expense accordingly, reflecting the change from prior estimate, if any, in current period non-cash stock compensation expense. The disclosed number of awards granted considers only the targeted number of units until such time that the performance condition has been satisfied. If the performance conditions are not achieved, no award is earned. See Note 19, “Equity Awards,” for further information.
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss).  The Company refers to other comprehensive income (loss) as revenues, expenses, gains and losses that under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America are included in comprehensive income (loss) but are excluded from net earnings as these amounts are recorded directly as an adjustment to stockholders' equity. Other comprehensive income (loss) is comprised of foreign currency translation adjustments, amortization of prior service costs and unrecognized gains and losses in actuarial assumptions for pension and postretirement plans and changes in unrealized gains and losses on derivative instruments.