Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Contingencies and Litigation

v3.20.2
Contingencies and Litigation
9 Months Ended
May 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Contingencies and Litigation
Note 14. Commitments and Contingencies
The Company had outstanding letters of credit of $11.9 million and $18.2 million at May 31, 2020 and August 31, 2019, respectively, the majority of which relate to commercial contracts and self-insured workers' compensation programs.
As part of the Company's global sourcing strategy, we have entered into agreements with certain suppliers that require the supplier to maintain minimum levels of inventory to support certain products for which we require a short lead time to fulfill customer orders. We have the ability to notify the supplier that they no longer need to maintain the minimum level of inventory should we discontinue manufacturing of a product during the contract period, however, we must purchase the remaining minimum inventory levels the supplier was required to maintain within a defined period of time.
The Company is a party to various legal proceedings that have arisen in the normal course of business. These legal proceedings typically include product liability, breaches of contract, employment, personal injury and other disputes. The Company has recorded reserves for loss contingencies based on the specific circumstances of each case. Such reserves are recorded when it is probable a loss has been incurred and can be reasonably estimated. In the opinion of management, resolution of these contingencies is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
The Company remains contingently liable for lease payments under leases of businesses that it previously divested or spun-off in the event that such businesses are unable to fulfill their future lease payment obligations, however, the Company does not believe it is probable that it will be required to satisfy these obligations. Future minimum lease payments for these leases at May 31, 2020 were $7.3 million associated with monthly payments extending to fiscal 2025.

The Company has self-disclosed the sales to an Estonian customer to relevant authorities in the Netherlands as potentially violating applicable sanctions laws in that country and the European Union. The investigation by authorities in the Netherlands is ongoing and may result in penalties. At this time, the Company cannot predict when the investigation will be completed or reasonably estimate what penalties, if any, will be assessed. While there can be no assurance of the ultimate outcome of the Netherlands investigation, the Company currently believes that there will be no material adverse effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows.