Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

The Company leases certain facilities and equipment under operating leases. As leases expire, it can be expected that, in the normal course of business, certain leases will be renewed or replaced. Certain lease agreements include escalating rent payments over the lease terms. The Company expenses rent on a straight-line basis over the lease term which commences on the date the Company has the right to control the property. Rent expense under operating leases for the years ended December 31 aggregated (in thousands):



	2015		2014		2013
Rent expense	$	13,959	$	12,290	$	11,796

Future minimum lease payments under these noncancelable operating leases as of December 31, 2015 are as follows (in thousands):



2016	$	12,817
2017	$	11,413
2018	$	9,340
2019	$	5,828
2020	$	3,569
Thereafter	$	5,210

The Company is a party to certain claims and legal actions generally incidental to its business. Management does not believe that the outcome of these actions, which are not clearly determinable at the present time, would significantly affect the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.

Escheat Audits

The State of Delaware, Department of Finance, Division of Revenue (Unclaimed Property), has notified numerous companies, including Gibraltar Industries, Inc., that the State will examine its books and records and those of its subsidiaries and related entities to determine compliance with the Delaware Escheat Laws. The review is being conducted by a third party on behalf of the State. Sixteen other states have retained the same third party and have sent similar notifications to Gibraltar. The scope of each state’s audit varies. The State of Delaware advises, for example, that the scope of its examination will be for the period 1981 through the present. The exposure, if any, related to the audits is not currently determinable.