Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Leases

The Company leases office space and equipment under various operating leases, which generally are expected to be renewed or replaced by other leases. In 2016, all previously disclosed capital leases ended. The Company did not enter into any new capital leases. As of December 31, 2017, future minimum lease payments under these non-cancelable leases are:



(in thousands)	Operating Leases
2018	$	3,899
2019	2,787
2020	1,502
2021	724
2022	177
Thereafter	55
Total minimum lease payments	$	9,144

Rental expense for operating leases was $4,788,000 for 2017, $4,060,000 for 2016, and $4,295,000 for 2015.

Other Commitments

Like other manufacturers, the Company is subject to a broad range of federal, state, local and foreign laws and requirements, including those concerning air emissions, discharges into waterways, and the generation, handling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of hazardous substances and waste materials, as well as the remediation of contamination associated with releases of hazardous substances at the Company’s facilities and off-site disposal locations, workplace safety and equal employment opportunities. These laws and regulations are constantly changing, and it is impossible to predict with accuracy the effect that changes to such laws and regulations may have on the Company in the future. Like other industrial concerns, the Company’s manufacturing operations entail the risk of noncompliance, and there can be no assurance that the Company will not incur material costs or other liabilities as a result thereof.

The Company knows that its Indianola, Iowa property is contaminated with chromium which most likely resulted from chrome plating operations which were discontinued before the Company purchased the property. Chlorinated volatile organic compounds have also been detected in water samples on the property, though the source is unknown at this time. The Company voluntarily worked with an environmental consultant and the state of Iowa with respect to these issues and believes it completed its remediation program in June 2006. The work was accomplished within the Company’s environmental liability reserve balance. We requested a “no further action” classification from the state. In January 2009, we received a "no further action" letter from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, according to which the Iowa property will be subject to certain ongoing environmental covenants that create restrictions regarding the use and future development of the property.