Segment Reporting

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]

Segment Reporting

Segment Reporting

We previously operated two reportable business segments, Industrial Materials and Engineered Solutions. In the first quarter of 2016, the Company reorganized its businesses and moved the Refractory product line from the Industrial Materials segment to the Engineered Solutions segment. Additionally, advanced materials products will now be a part of the business segment where these products are produced. All prior period amounts have been recast to reflect this change.

During the second quarter of 2016 the Company decided to sell the businesses that comprised our Engineered Solutions segment to focus our Industrial Materials segment. As such, the Engineered Solutions business qualified as held for sale status and as such the related results have been excluded from continuing operations. See Note 3 "Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale" for significant components of the results of our Engineered Solutions segment.

Our Industrial Materials segment manufactures and delivers high quality graphite electrodes and needle coke products. Electrodes are key components of the conductive power systems used to produce steel and other non-ferrous metals. Needle coke, a crystalline form of carbon derived from decant oil, is the key ingredient in, and is used primarily in, the production of graphite electrodes.

During 2014, as part of our initiative to decentralize the organization and reduce the costs of the global headquarter functions, the performance measure of our existing segments was changed to reflect our new management and operating structure. We currently exclude such expenses from the segment operating income measure and report them under “Corporate, R&D and Other Expenses” in order to reconcile to the consolidated operating income of the Company.

The following tables summarize financial information concerning our reportable segments and all prior periods have been recast to reflect our new methodology:

	Predecessor						Successor
	For the Year Ended December 31, 2014			For the Period January 1 Through August 14, 2015			For the Period August 15 Through December 31, 2015			For the Year Ended December 31, 2016
	(Dollars in thousands)
Net sales to external customers:
Industrial Materials	$	825,145		$	339,907		$	193,133		$	437,963
Segment operating income (loss):
Industrial Materials	$	(51,300	)	$	(24,900	)	$	(2,529	)	$	(63,827	)
Corporate, R&D and Other expenses	(68,674		)	(43,349		)	(10,034		)	(28,226		)
Total segment operating income (loss)	$	(119,974	)	$	(68,249	)	$	(12,563	)	$	(92,053	)
Reconciliation of segment operating income    (loss) to loss from continuing operations       before provision for income taxes:
Other expense (income), net	$	2,920		$	1,421		$	(813	)	$	(2,188	)
Interest expense	35,736			26,211			9,999			26,914
Interest income	(320		)	(363		)	(6		)	(358		)
Loss before provision for income taxes	$	(158,310	)	$	(95,518	)	$	(21,743	)	$	(116,421	)

Industrial Materials' operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2016 included $19.0 million of lower of cost or market inventory write-downs.

Industrial Materials' operating loss for the period January 1 through August 14, 2015 includes a $35.4 million goodwill impairment charge, $2.7 million of rationalization and related charges and $3.2 million of costs associated with the preferred share issuance. Corporate, R&D and Other expenses for the period January 1 through August 14, 2015 includes $19.4 million of costs associated with the preferred share issuance, tender offer and proxy contest and $1.7 million of rationalization and related costs.

Operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2014 includes a $76.1 million goodwill impairment charge in Industrial Materials. 2014 Operating loss also includes rationalization related charges of $34.5 million in Industrial Materials and $6.3 million in Corporate, R&D and Other expenses, as well as a pension mark-to-market loss of $3.5 million in Industrial Materials and $6.3 million in Corporate, R&D and Other expenses. Corporate, R&D and Other expenses includes $2.4 million of fees associated with proxy contest costs in 2014.

Assets are managed based on geographic location because certain continuing and discontinued operations share certain facilities. Assets by reportable segment are estimated based on the value of long-lived assets at each location and the activities performed at the location.All assets are assigned to our Industrial Materials segment as all of our operations exist to support that business.

The following tables summarize information as to our operations in different geographic areas.

	2014		2015		2016
	(Dollars in thousands)
Net sales:*
U.S.	$	195,264	$	107,517	$	74,526
Americas	165,761		132,917		116,944
Asia Pacific	80,832		37,509		41,302
Europe, Middle East, Africa	383,288		255,097		205,191
Total	$	825,145	$	533,040	$	437,963

* Net Sales were not impacted by purchase price accounting adjustments.

	At December 31,
	2015		2016
	(Dollars in thousands)
Long-lived assets (a):
U.S. and Canada	$	209,634	$	191,502
Mexico	158,950		151,288
Brazil	8,787		6,100
France	76,535		69,558
Spain	93,049		87,614
South Africa	2,879		2,547
Italy	1,032		10
Switzerland	266		192
Other countries	31		44
Total	$	551,163	$	508,855

(a) Long-lived assets represent fixed assets, net of accumulated depreciation.