Business Restructuring

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Restructuring And Related Activities [Abstract]

Business Restructuring

16. BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING

In the first quarter of 2019, the Company approved a plan to restructure its Specialty Products office in the Netherlands and eliminate five positions from the site’s supply chain, quality control and research and development areas. This planned reduction in positions was made to better align the number of personnel with current business requirements and reduce costs at the site. As a result, severance and early lease termination expenses of $396,000 and $79,000, respectively, were recognized during the first quarter of 2019.

During the third quarter of 2018, the Company approved a plan to shut down Surfactant operations at its German plant site. As of June 30, 2020, an aggregate of $2,392,000 shut down related expense has been recognized at the site. This aggregate expense is comprised of $1,404,000 of asset and spare part write downs recognized in 2018 and $988,000 of cumulative decommissioning costs. The Company recognized $208,000 in decommissioning expenses in the second quarter of 2019 and did not incur any decommissioning expenses in the second quarter of 2020.    For the six months of 2020 and 2019, the Company recognized $79,000 and $395,000 of decommissioning expenses, respectively.

In the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company approved a plan to restructure a portion of its Fieldsboro, New Jersey production facility.  As a result, the Company recorded $915,000 of restructuring expense which reflected termination benefits for select plant employees. In the first quarter of 2019, the Company recognized a $251,000 favorable adjustment to the amount of termination benefits initially recorded.

In May 2016, the Company announced plans to shut down its Longford Mills, Ontario, Canada (Longford Mills) manufacturing facility, a part of the Surfactant reportable segment, by December 31, 2016. The shutdown plan was implemented to improve the Company’s asset utilization in North America and to reduce the Company’s fixed cost base. Manufacturing operations of the Longford Mills plant ceased by the end of 2016, and production of goods manufactured at the facility was transferred to other Company North American production sites. Decommissioning of the assets is expected to continue throughout 2020. As of June 30, 2020, $7,987,000 of aggregate restructuring expense has been recognized, reflecting $1,644,000 of termination benefits for approximately 30 employees and $6,343,000 for other expenses, principally site decommissioning costs. The Company recognized $225,000 and $200,000 of decommissioning expenses in the second quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company recognized $503,000 and $521,000 of decommissioning expenses in the first six months of 2020 and 2019, respectively.