For the Years Ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009
The Company has unrecorded Asset Retirement Obligation's ("AROs") that are conditional upon certain events. These AROs generally include the removal and disposition of non-friable asbestos. The Company has not recorded a liability for these conditional AROs at December 31, 2011 because the Company does not currently believe there is a reasonable basis for estimating a date or range of dates for major renovation or demolition of these facilities. In reaching this conclusion, the Company considered the historical performance of each facility and has taken into account factors such as planned maintenance, asset replacement and upgrades, which, if conducted as in the past, can extend the physical lives of the facilities indefinitely. The Company also considered the possibility of changes in technology and risk of obsolescence in arriving at its conclusion.
The Company currently leases various properties under leases that give the lessor the right to make the determination as to whether the lessee must return the premises to their original condition, except for normal wear and tear. The Company does not normally make substantial modifications to leased property, and many of the Company's leases either require lessor approval of planned improvements or transfer ownership of such improvements to the lessor at the termination of the lease. Historically we have not incurred significant costs to return leased premises to their original condition.
Rent commitments under various leases for office space, warehouses, land and buildings expire at varying dates from January 2012 to June 2018. The standard term for most leases ranges from 3 to 5 years. Some of the Company's leases have rent escalations, rent holidays or contingent rent that are recognized on a straight-line basis over the entire lease term. Material leasehold improvements and other landlord incentives are amortized over the shorter of their economic lives or the lease term, including renewal periods, if reasonably assured. Certain annual rentals are subject to renegotiation, with certain leases renewable for varying periods.
Lease periods for machinery and equipment range from 1 to 5 years.
Substantially all real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance expenses are obligations of the Company. It is expected that in the normal course of business leases that expire will be renewed or replaced by leases on other similar property.
The following minimum future rental payments are required under operating leases that have initial or remaining non-cancelable lease terms in excess of one year as of December 31, 2011 (in thousands):
| 2012 | $ 19,848 |
| 2013 | 14,370 |
| 2014 | 9,389 |
| 2015 | 4,789 |
| 2016 | 3,230 |
| Thereafter | 2,402 |
| Total | $ 54,028 |
Lease expense for all operating leases, including leases with terms of less than one year, amounted to $21.7 million, $17.3 million and $17.0 million for 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.
As reported previously, the Company was involved in various litigation concerning its prior FMU-143 program at the Aerospace segment's Orlando facility ("Orlando Facility"). During the fourth quarter, the Company and the USG executed a settlement agreement upon terms satisfactory to both parties. As part of the settlement the Company paid the USG $4.75 million in January 2012. There is no admission of liability with respect to either matter, which is consistent with management's view of its legal liability. The Company accrued the full amount of the settlement as of December 31, 2011 and, in addition, the Company wrote off $1.45 million in net assets, primarily inventory, that were related to the counterclaim against the USG.
In 2011, the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas issued a grand jury subpoena to the Aerospace segment's Wichita facility regarding a government investigation of record keeping associated with the manufacture of certain composite parts. Management is cooperating with the government's investigation and believes that it has fully complied with all legal obligations in connection with the manufacture of the parts in question. At December 31, 2011, the Company had no amount accrued for this matter, as it is unable to estimate the amount of costs, if any, that might be incurred in connection with the resolution of this matter at this time. The Company believes that the likelihood of an adverse outcome to this matter is remote.
The Company is actively engaged in efforts to resell the former Australia SH-2G(A) (now designated the SH-2G(I)) aircraft, spare parts and equipment to other potential customers. Pursuant to the terms of its revenue sharing agreement with the Commonwealth of Australia, the Company will share all proceeds from the resale of the aircraft, spare parts, and equipment with the Commonwealth on a predetermined basis, and total payments of at least $39.5 million (AUD) must be made to the Commonwealth regardless of sales. Cumulative payments of $26.8 million (AUD) have been made through December 31, 2011. Additional payments of $6.4 million (AUD) each must be paid in March of 2012 and 2013 to the extent that cumulative payments have not yet reached $33.1 million (AUD) and $39.5 million (AUD) as of such dates, respectively.
To secure these payments, the Company has provided the Commonwealth with a $12.7 million (AUD) unconditional letter of credit, which is being reduced as such payments are made. As of December 31, 2011, the U.S. dollar value of the remaining $12.7 million (AUD) required payment was $13.1 million, of which $6.5 million is due in March 2012. In late 2009, the Company entered into foreign currency exchange contracts that limit the foreign currency risks associated with these required payments. These contracts will enable the Company to purchase $9.8 million (AUD)for $6.3 million. See Note 6, Derivative Financial Instruments, for further discussion of these instruments.
The Orlando facility is one of five defendants in a qui tam suit under the False Claims Act brought by John D. King, a former employee of one of the other defendants. The case, United States ex rel. King v. DSE, Inc., et al., No. 9:08-cv-02416 (M.D. Fla.), is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The United States Department of Justice has declined to intervene in the suit, and the case is being brought by Mr. King. The suit alleges that the Orlando facility knowingly submitted false claims or made false statements in connection with its work on 40 mm grenade programs. Management believes that it has fully complied with its legal obligations in connection with this program. At December 31, 2011, the Company had no amount accrued for this matter, as it is unable to estimate the amount of costs, if any, that might be incurred in connection with the resolution of this matter at this time. The Company believes that the likelihood of an adverse outcome to this matter is remote.
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection ("CTDEP") has given the Company approval for reclassification of groundwater in the vicinity of the Moosup, CT facility consistent with the character of the area. This facility is currently being held for disposal. The Company has completed the process of connecting neighboring properties to public drinking water in accordance with such approval and in coordination with the CTDEP and local authorities. Site characterization of the environmental condition of the property, which began in 2008, is continuing.
The total anticipated cost of the environmental remediation activities associated with the Moosup property is $4.3 million, all of which has been accrued. The total amount paid to date in connection with these environmental remediation activities is $2.1 million. A portion ($0.4 million) of the accrual related to this property is included in other accruals and payables and the balance is included in other long-term liabilities. The remaining balance of the accrual reflects the total anticipated cost of completing these environmental remediation activities. Although it is reasonably possible that additional costs will be paid in connection with the resolution of this matter, the Company is unable to estimate the amount of such additional costs, if any, at this time.
In connection with sale of the Company's Music segment in 2007, the Company assumed responsibility for meeting certain requirements of the Connecticut Transfer Act (the "Transfer Act") that applied to our transfer of the New Hartford, Connecticut, facility leased by that segment for guitar manufacturing purposes ("Ovation"). Under the Transfer Act, those responsibilities essentially consist of assessing the site's environmental conditions and remediating environmental impairments, if any, caused by Ovation's operations prior to the sale. The site is a multi-tenant industrial park, in which Ovation and other unrelated entities lease space. The environmental assessment process, which began in 2008, is still in process.
The Company's estimate of its portion of the cost to assess the environmental conditions and remediate this site is $2.2 million, unchanged from previously reported estimates, all of which has been accrued. The total amount paid to date in connection with these environmental remediation activities is $0.5 million. A portion ($0.5 million) of the accrual related to this property is included in other accruals and payables and the balance is included in other long-term liabilities. The remaining balance of the accrual reflects the total anticipated cost of completing these environmental remediation activities. Although it is reasonably possible that additional costs will be paid in connection with the resolution of this matter, the Company is unable to estimate the amount of such additional costs, if any, at this time.
In connection with the Company's 2008 purchase of the portion of the Bloomfield campus that Kaman Aerospace Corporation had leased from NAVAIR, the Company assumed responsibility for environmental remediation at the facility as may be required under the Transfer Act and continues the effort to define the scope of the remediation that will be required by the CTDEP. The assumed environmental liability of $10.3 million was determined by taking the undiscounted estimated remediation liability of $20.8 million and discounting it at a rate of 8%. This remediation process will take many years to complete. The total amount paid to date in connection with these environmental remediation activities is $3.8 million. A portion ($2.2 million) of the accrual related to this property is included in other accruals and payables, and the balance is included in other long-term liabilities. Although it is reasonably possible that additional costs will be paid in connection with the resolution of this matter, the Company is unable to estimate the amount of such additional costs, if any, at this time.
In connection with the purchase of U.K. Composites, the Company accrued, at the time of acquisition, £1.6 million for environmental compliance at the facilities. The remaining balance of the accrual at December 31, 2011 was £0.7 million, with £0.7 million having been paid to date in connection with these environmental remediation activities and £0.2 million released to income. The U.S. dollar equivalent of the remaining environmental compliance liability as of December 31, 2011, is $1.1 million, which is included in other accruals and payables. The Company continues to assess the work that may be required, which may result in a change to this accrual. Although it is reasonably possible that additional costs will be paid in connection with the resolution of this matter, the Company is unable to estimate the amount of such additional costs, if any, at this time.