Comitments and Contingencies |
12 Months Ended |
|---|---|
Aug. 31, 2018 | |
| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |
| Contingencies and Litigation |
Note 16. Commitments and Contingencies
The Company had outstanding letters of credit of $23.6 million and $22.1 million at August 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, the majority of which relate to commercial contracts and self-insured workers compensation programs.
The Company is a party to various legal proceedings that have arisen in the normal course of its business. These legal proceedings typically include product liability, environmental, labor, patent 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 that a loss has been incurred and can be reasonably estimated. In the opinion of management, the resolution of these contingencies are 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. The discounted present value of future minimum lease payments for these leases was $11.0 million using a weighted average discount rate of 3.24% at August 31, 2018.
The Company has facilities in numerous geographic locations that are subject to a range of environmental laws and regulations. Environmental expenditures over the past three years have not been material. Management believes that such costs will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
In March 2018, the Company filed an Initial Notice of Voluntary Self-Disclosure ("VSD") with the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) regarding transactions related to otherwise authorized sales of tools and other products by certain of its foreign subsidiaries to two Iranian distributors totaling approximately $0.5 million. While the Company undertook efforts to ensure that those sales were conducted entirely consistent with General License H under the Iranian Transaction and Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 560, it is possible that certain limited transactions relating to the authorized sales in question fell outside the scope of General License H. The Company immediately determined to cease doing business in Iran and continues not to transact there. With the assistance of its external counsel, the Company undertook an investigation of those Iran-related transactions and, more generally, the adequacy and effectiveness of its procedures to ensure compliance with trade and export requirements. The investigation was completed in October 2018 and resulted in the filing of a final VSD with OFAC on October 26, 2018. The final VSD also included information about additional transactions by certain of the Company's Dutch subsidiaries, with a counterparty in Estonia that may have been in violation of E.O. 13685. Those transactions involved wire remittances totaling approximately $3.2 million for sales of products and services that may have been diverted to the Crimea region of Ukraine. OFAC is currently reviewing the Company’s disclosure to determine whether any violations of U.S. economic sanctions laws may have occurred and, if so, to determine the appropriate enforcement response. At this time, the Company cannot predict when OFAC will conclude its review of the VSD or the nature of its enforcement response.
Additionally, the Company has self-disclosed the sales to its 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 also 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 above matters, the Company currently believes that there will be no material adverse effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
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