Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Basis of Presentation

v3.21.2
Basis of Presentation
12 Months Ended
Aug. 31, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Note 1.    Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Nature of Operations:  Enerpac Tool Group Corp. (the “Company”), is a global manufacturer of a broad range of industrial products and solutions, organized into two operating segments. The Industrial Tools & Services segment ("IT&S"), the Company's only reportable segment, is primarily engaged in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded hydraulic and mechanical tools and in providing services and tool rental to the infrastructure, industrial maintenance, infrastructure, repair, and operations, oil & gas, mining and alternative and renewable energy and construction markets. 
Consolidation and Presentation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries, all of which are wholly owned. The results of companies acquired or disposed of during the year are included in the consolidated financial statements from the effective date of acquisition or until the date of divestiture. All intercompany balances, transactions and profits have been eliminated in consolidation.
At August 31, 2019, the Company's former Engineered Components & Systems ("EC&S") segment was considered held for sale and was subsequently divested on October 31, 2019. As the divestiture represented a strategic shift in our operations, the results of the former segment through the date of divestiture and subsequent impacts to the financial results from retained liabilities are recorded in "Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes" within the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The results of the Cortland Fibron and Precision Hayes businesses which were a component of the EC&S segment prior to their divestiture in the year ended August 31, 2019, were also part of the strategic shift, as such, they are also reflected in "Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes" within the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
The Company has updated our historical caption of "Selling, administrative and engineering expenses" in the
Consolidated Statements of Operations to "Selling, general and administrative expenses." There has been no change to the
composition of expenses within the caption in the current or historical periods presented.
Cash Equivalents: The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of 90 days or less to be cash equivalents.
Inventories: Inventories are comprised of material, direct labor and manufacturing overhead. A majority of inventory is recorded on the first-in, first-out or average cost method and is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. A portion of U.S. owned inventory is determined using the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method (48.4% and 44.1% of total inventories as of August 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively). If the LIFO method were not used, inventory balances would be higher than reported amounts in the consolidated balance sheets by $15.9 million and $10.2 million at August 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
The nature of the Company’s products is such that they generally have a very short production cycle. Consequently, the amount of work-in-process at any point in time is minimal. In addition, many parts or components are ultimately either sold individually or assembled with other parts making a distinction between raw materials and finished goods impractical to determine. Certain locations maintain and manage their inventories using a job cost system where the distinction of categories of inventory by state of completion is also not available. As a result of these factors, it is neither practical nor cost effective to segregate the amounts of raw materials, work-in-process or finished goods inventories at the respective balance sheet dates, as segregation would only be possible as the result of physical inventories which are taken at dates different from the balance sheet dates.
Property, Plant and Equipment: Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost. Plant and equipment are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets, ranging from ten to forty years for buildings and improvements and two to fifteen years for machinery and equipment. Equipment includes assets which are rented to customers of our IT&S segment. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the life of the related asset or the term of the lease. Depreciation expense was $13.4 million, $12.4 million and $11.3 million for the years ended August 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The following is a summary of the Company's components of property, plant and equipment (in thousands):
August 31, 2021 August 30, 2020
Land, buildings and improvements $ 16,617  $ 33,548 
Machinery and equipment 145,541  134,536 
Gross property, plant and equipment 162,158  168,084 
Less: Accumulated depreciation (113,568) (106,679)
Property, plant and equipment, net $ 48,590  $ 61,405 
Leases: We determine if an arrangement contains a lease in whole or in part at the inception of the contract and identify classification of the lease as financing or operating. We account for the underlying operating lease asset at the individual lease level. Operating leases are recorded as operating lease right-to-use (“ROU”) assets in “Other long-term assets” and operating lease liabilities in “Other current liabilities” and “Other long-term liabilities” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
All leases greater than 12 months result in recognition of a ROU asset and a liability at the lease commencement date and are recorded at the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term. The lease term is equal to the initial term at commencement plus any renewal or extension options that the Company is reasonably certain will be exercised. ROU assets at the date of commencement are equal to the amount of the initial lease liability, the initial direct costs incurred by the Company and any prepaid lease payments less any incentives received. Lease expense for operating leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term or remaining useful life. As most of our leases do not provide the information required to determine the implicit rate, we utilize a consolidated group incremental borrowing rate for all leases as the Company has centralized treasury operations. The incremental borrowing rate is derived through a combination of inputs such as the Company's credit rating, impact of collaborated borrowing capabilities and lease term.
Leases with the duration of less than one-year are not recognized on the balance sheet and are expensed on a straight-line basis over the lease term. In addition, we do not separate lease components from non-lease components for all asset classes.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets: Goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives are not subject to amortization, but are subject to annual impairment testing. Other intangible assets with definite lives, consisting primarily of purchased customer relationships, patents, trademarks and tradenames, are amortized over periods from one to twenty-five years.
The Company’s goodwill is tested for impairment annually, during the fourth quarter, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill might be impaired. The Company performs impairment reviews for its reporting units using a fair value method based on management’s judgments and assumptions. In estimating the fair value, the Company utilizes a discounted cash flow model, which is dependent on a number of assumptions, most significantly forecasted revenues and operating profit margins, and the weighted average cost of capital. The estimated fair value of the reporting unit is compared to the carrying amount of the reporting unit, including goodwill. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recorded and should not exceed the total amount of the goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are also subject to an annual impairment test. On an annual basis, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired, the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets are evaluated by the Company to determine if an impairment charge is required. A considerable amount of management judgment is required in performing impairment tests, principally in determining the fair value of each reporting unit and the indefinite-lived intangible assets.
Product Warranty CostsThe Company generally offers its customers an assurance warranty on products sold, although warranty periods may vary by product type and application. The reserve for future warranty claims, which is recorded within the "Other current liabilities" line on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, is based on historical claim rates and current warranty cost experience. The following is a rollforward of the changes in product warranty reserves for fiscal years 2021 and 2020 (in thousands):
2021 2020
Beginning balance $ 892  $ 1,145 
Provision for warranties 1,580  677 
Warranty payments and costs incurred (1,171) (934)
Warranty activity for divested businesses —  (27)
Impact of changes in foreign currency rates (1) 31 
Ending balance $ 1,300  $ 892 
Revenue from Contracts with Customers: The Company recognizes revenue when it satisfies a performance obligation in a contract by transferring control of a distinct good or service to a customer. A contract’s transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and revenue is measured based on the consideration that the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for the goods or services transferred. When contracts include multiple products or services to be delivered to the customer, the consideration for each element is generally allocated on the standalone transaction prices of the separate performance obligations, using the adjusted market assessment approach.
Under normal circumstances, the Company invoices the customer once transfer of control has occurred and has a right to payment. The typical payment terms vary based on the customer and the types of goods and services in the contract. The period of time between invoicing and when payment is due is not significant, as our standard payment terms are less than one year. Amounts billed and due from customers are classified as receivables on the balance sheet.
Customer sales are recorded net of allowances for returns and discounts, which are recognized as a deduction from sales at the time of sale. The Company commits to one-time or on-going trade discounts and promotions with customers that require the Company to estimate and accrue the ultimate costs of such programs.The Company generally does not require collateral or other security for receivables and provides for an allowance for doubtful accounts based on historical experience and a review
of its existing receivables. Accounts receivable are stated net of an allowance for doubtful accounts of $4.2 million and $5.0 million at August 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.  
Taxes Collected: Taxes collected by the Company from a customer concurrent with revenue-producing activities are excluded from "Net sales" within the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Shipping and Handling Costs: The Company records costs associated with shipping its products after control over a product has transferred to a customer and are accounted for as fulfillment costs. These costs are reported in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in "Cost of products sold."
Research and Development Costs: Research and development costs consist primarily of an allocation of overall engineering and development resources and are expensed as incurred. Such costs incurred in the development of new products or significant improvements to existing products were $7.4 million, $7.3 million and $9.3 million in fiscal 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company also incurs significant costs in connection with fulfilling custom orders and developing solutions for unique customer needs which are not included in these research and development expense totals.
Other Income/Expense: Other income and expense primarily consists of net foreign currency exchange transaction losses of $1.8 million, $2.6 million and $0.2 million in fiscal 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. In addition, as a result of the EC&S divestiture and the transition services agreement entered into with the buyer, the Company recorded $4.9 million of other income from providing the agreed upon services in fiscal 2020.
Financing Costs: Financing costs represent interest expense, financing fees and amortization of debt issuance costs, net of interest income. Interest income was $0.7 million, $0.8 million and $0.7 million for fiscal 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Income Taxes: The provision for income taxes includes federal, state, local and non-U.S. taxes on income. Tax credits, primarily for non-U.S. earnings, are recognized as a reduction of the provision for income taxes in the year in which they are available for U.S. tax purposes. Deferred taxes are provided on temporary differences between assets and liabilities for financial and tax reporting purposes as measured by enacted tax rates expected to apply when temporary differences are settled or realized. Future tax benefits are recognized to the extent that realization of those benefits is considered to be more likely than not. A valuation allowance is established for deferred tax assets for which realization is not more likely than not of being realized. The Company has not provided for any residual U.S. income taxes on unremitted earnings of non-U.S. subsidiaries, as such earnings are intended to be indefinitely reinvested to the extent the remittance does not result in an incremental U.S. tax liability. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense and treats any taxes due on future U.S. inclusions in taxable income under the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income ("GILTI") provision as a current period tax expense.
Foreign Currency Translation: The financial statements of the Company’s foreign operations are translated into U.S. dollars using the exchange rate at each balance sheet date for assets and liabilities and an appropriate weighted average exchange rate for each applicable period within the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Translation adjustments are reflected in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity caption “Accumulated other comprehensive loss.”
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss: The following is a summary of the components included within accumulated other comprehensive loss (in thousands):
August 31,
2021 2020
Foreign currency translation adjustments $ 69,986  $ 75,896 
Pension and other postretirement benefit plans 22,998  24,750 
Unrecognized losses on cash flow hedges —  78 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss $ 92,984  $ 100,724 
Use of Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. The Company regularly evaluates the estimates and assumptions related to the allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory valuation, warranty reserves, goodwill, intangible and long-lived asset valuations, employee benefit plan liabilities, over-time revenue recognition, income tax liabilities, deferred tax assets and related valuation allowances, uncertain tax positions, restructuring reserves, and litigation and other loss contingencies. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted, and is likely to continue to negatively impact to varying extents, the global economy. The Company's operating results and financial position will continue to be subject to the general economic conditions created by the pandemic, and the duration and extent to which the pandemic's effects impact the Company's business will depend on future developments, including the
distribution and long-term effectiveness of vaccines globally, the impact of COVID-19 variants, such as the Delta variant, and the impact of therapeutics in minimizing its negative effects on macroeconomic conditions, which still remain uncertain.
The Company manages the profitability of its product and service & rental categories on a combined basis given the complexity of the business model. This model includes providing integrated product and service solutions resulting in facilities that generate revenues from both product and service & rental categories, which also have indirect and facility overhead costs included in cost of sales. As such, judgment and estimates are required to disaggregate product and service & rental cost of sales including allocating indirect and facility overhead costs between cost of product sales and the cost of service & rental sales. Changes in these judgments and estimates could materially change the allocation of the indirect and facility overhead costs to the different sales categories and the resulting ratio of cost of sales to net sales by category. Because the sales mix heavily favors the product category, a change in the mix of cost of sales between the sales categories would have a more significant impact on the ratio of cost of sales to net sales for the service & rental category. In addition, due to the recent changes in our business model, which includes the integration of the Enerpac and Hydratight businesses within the IT&S segment, the decision to exit certain non-strategic businesses and product lines, and the restructuring actions taken by the Company, the historical ratios of cost of sales to net sales by category may not be indicative of future ratios of cost of sales to net sales by category.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”), which adds an impairment model that is based on expected losses rather than incurred losses and is called the Current Expected Credit Losses (“CECL”) model. This impairment model is applicable to loans, debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, off-balance sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables as well as any other financial asset with the contractual right to receive cash. Under the new model, an allowance equal to the estimate of lifetime expected credit losses is recognized which will result in more timely loss recognition. The guidance is intended to reduce complexity by decreasing the number of credit impairment models. The Company adopted the guidance on September 1, 2020 using the modified retrospective approach and there was no impact to the financial statements as a result of the adoption.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (and subsequently ASU 2018-01 and ASU 2019-01), to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing all lease transactions on the balance sheet as a lease liability and a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset. The amendments also expanded disclosure requirements for key information about leasing arrangements. On September 1, 2019, the Company adopted the standard using a modified retrospective approach and elected the package of practical expedients allowing us to not reassess whether any expired or existing contracts contain leases, the lease classification for any expired or existing leases, and initial direct costs for leases that commenced prior to September 1, 2019. In addition, we elected not to recognize ROU assets or lease liabilities for leases containing terms of 12 months or less and not separate lease components from non-lease components for all asset classes. The Company updated its standard lease accounting policy to address the new standard, revised the Company’s business processes and controls to align to the updated policy and new standard and completed the implementation of and data input into the Company’s lease accounting software solution. The most significant impact of the standard on the Company was the recognition of a $60.8 million ROU asset and operating lease liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at adoption. The standard did not have a significant impact on our Consolidated Statements of Operations or Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. In addition, as a result of sale leaseback transactions in previous years for which gains were deferred and under the new standard would have been recognized, the Company recorded an increase to retained earnings of $0.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020, which represents the recognition of these previously deferred gains. See Note 10, “Leases” for further discussion of the Company’s operating leases.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-4, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting, which provides optional expedients and exceptions for a limited time to ease the potential burden of accounting for reference rate reform on financial reporting. This guidance applies to contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions affected by the discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and other interbank offered rates. The guidance is effective beginning on March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. In January 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-01 allowing entities to apply certain aspects of ASC 848 (previously ASU 2020-4) to all derivative instruments that undergo a modification of the interest rate used for discounting, margining or contract price alignment as a result of the reference reform. The guidance is also effective through December 31, 2022. The Company has not utilized any of the optional expedients or exceptions available under this guidance. The Company will continue to assess whether this guidance is applicable throughout the effective period.
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The amendments in this update simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions and amending and clarifying existing guidance. The guidance is effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 with early adoption permitted. The adoption is not expected to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets: Goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives are not subject to amortization, but are subject to annual impairment testing. Other intangible assets with definite lives, consisting primarily of purchased customer relationships, patents, trademarks and tradenames, are amortized over periods from one to twenty-five years.
The Company’s goodwill is tested for impairment annually, during the fourth quarter, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill might be impaired. The Company performs impairment reviews for its reporting units using a fair value method based on management’s judgments and assumptions. In estimating the fair value, the Company utilizes a discounted cash flow model, which is dependent on a number of assumptions, most significantly forecasted revenues and operating profit margins, and the weighted average cost of capital. The estimated fair value of the reporting unit is compared to the carrying amount of the reporting unit, including goodwill. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recorded and should not exceed the total amount of the goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are also subject to an annual impairment test. On an annual basis, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired, the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets are evaluated by the Company to determine if an impairment charge is required. A considerable amount of management judgment is required in performing impairment tests, principally in determining the fair value of each reporting unit and the indefinite-lived intangible assets.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”), which adds an impairment model that is based on expected losses rather than incurred losses and is called the Current Expected Credit Losses (“CECL”) model. This impairment model is applicable to loans, debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, off-balance sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables as well as any other financial asset with the contractual right to receive cash. Under the new model, an allowance equal to the estimate of lifetime expected credit losses is recognized which will result in more timely loss recognition. The guidance is intended to reduce complexity by decreasing the number of credit impairment models. The Company adopted the guidance on September 1, 2020 using the modified retrospective approach and there was no impact to the financial statements as a result of the adoption.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (and subsequently ASU 2018-01 and ASU 2019-01), to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing all lease transactions on the balance sheet as a lease liability and a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset. The amendments also expanded disclosure requirements for key information about leasing arrangements. On September 1, 2019, the Company adopted the standard using a modified retrospective approach and elected the package of practical expedients allowing us to not reassess whether any expired or existing contracts contain leases, the lease classification for any expired or existing leases, and initial direct costs for leases that commenced prior to September 1, 2019. In addition, we elected not to recognize ROU assets or lease liabilities for leases containing terms of 12 months or less and not separate lease components from non-lease components for all asset classes. The Company updated its standard lease accounting policy to address the new standard, revised the Company’s business processes and controls to align to the updated policy and new standard and completed the implementation of and data input into the Company’s lease accounting software solution. The most significant impact of the standard on the Company was the recognition of a $60.8 million ROU asset and operating lease liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at adoption. The standard did not have a significant impact on our Consolidated Statements of Operations or Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. In addition, as a result of sale leaseback transactions in previous years for which gains were deferred and under the new standard would have been recognized, the Company recorded an increase to retained earnings of $0.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020, which represents the recognition of these previously deferred gains. See Note 10, “Leases” for further discussion of the Company’s operating leases.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-4, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting, which provides optional expedients and exceptions for a limited time to ease the potential burden of accounting for reference rate reform on financial reporting. This guidance applies to contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions affected by the discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and other interbank offered rates. The guidance is effective beginning on March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. In January 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-01 allowing entities to apply certain aspects of ASC 848 (previously ASU 2020-4) to all derivative instruments that undergo a modification of the interest rate used for discounting, margining or contract price alignment as a result of the reference reform. The guidance is also effective through December 31, 2022. The Company has not utilized any of the optional expedients or exceptions available under this guidance. The Company will continue to assess whether this guidance is applicable throughout the effective period.
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The amendments in this update simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions and amending and clarifying existing guidance. The guidance is effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 with early adoption permitted. The adoption is not expected to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.