15. Contingencies

Environmental Matters

The Company has accrued liabilities of $26.0 million for ongoing environmental remediation efforts at sites in Huntsville, Alabama (the “Huntsville site”) and Norco, California (the “Norco site”) at which contaminated soil and groundwater was identified. The contamination related to activities of certain subsidiaries which ended prior to 2000. Remediation efforts began in 2015 and 2003 at the Huntsville site and Norco site, respectively, and are progressing under action plans monitored by local environmental agencies.

Costs are recorded for environmental matters when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated. Environmental liabilities are included in “Accrued expenses” and “Other liabilities” on the company’s consolidated balance sheets. The company has determined that there is no amount within the environmental liability ranges discussed below, that is a better estimate than any other amount, and therefore has recorded the accruals at the minimum amount of the ranges. The liabilities were estimated based on current costs and are not discounted. Environmental costs related to these matters include remediation, project management, regulatory oversight, and investigative and feasibility study activities.

To date, the company has spent approximately $9.5 million and $89.1 million related to environmental costs at the Huntsville site and the Norco site, respectively. The subsequent environmental costs at the Huntsville site are estimated to be between $4.9 million and $16.6 million, and at the Norco site they are estimated to be between $21.1 million and $38.5 million.

The company expects the liabilities associated with such ongoing remediation to be resolved over an extended period of time with current estimates extending beyond 2040. The accruals for environmental liabilities are adjusted periodically as facts and circumstances change, assessment and remediation efforts progress, or as additional technical or legal information becomes available. Environmental liabilities are difficult to assess and estimate due to various unknown factors such as the timing and extent of remediation, the efficacy and long-term costs of remediation, improvements in remediation technologies, orders by administrative agencies, and the extent to which environmental laws and regulations may change in the future.

During 2025, 2024 and 2023 the company recorded charges of $4.5 million, $0.8 million and $23.3 million related to increases in the environmental liabilities for the Huntsville and Norco sites. These costs are included in “Restructuring, integration, and other” on the company’s consolidated statements of operations.

To date, the company has recovered approximately $157.4 million from certain insurance carriers relating to environmental clean-up matters at these sites and continues to pursue additional recoveries from one insurer related solely to the Huntsville site. The company has not recorded a receivable for any potential future insurance recoveries.

It is reasonably possible that the company will need to adjust the liabilities noted above to reflect the effects of new or additional information, to the extent that such information impacts the costs, timing, or duration of the required actions. Future changes in estimates of the costs, timing, or duration of the required actions could have a material adverse effect on the company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Other

During 2023, the company received $62.2 million in settlement benefits in connection with claims filed against certain manufacturers of aluminum, tantalum, and film capacitors who allegedly colluded to fix the price of capacitors from 2001 through 2014. These amounts were recorded as a reduction to “Selling, general, and administrative” in the company’s consolidated statements of operations.

From time to time, in the normal course of business, the company is subject to other pending and threatened litigation, environmental, regulatory, labor, product, and tax matters. While such matters are subject to inherent uncertainties, it is not currently anticipated that any such matters will materially impact the company’s consolidated financial position, liquidity, or results of operations.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 11, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 11, 2025
2023Feb 13, 2024
2022Feb 9, 2023
2021Feb 11, 2022
2020Feb 11, 2021
2019Feb 13, 2020
2018Feb 7, 2019
2017Feb 6, 2018
2016Feb 7, 2017
2015Feb 5, 2016

About Commitments Disclosures

Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.

Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.