For financial reporting purposes, plant and equipment are depreciated over their estimated useful lives, primarily by using the straight-line method as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| Buildings and improvements | | 10 to 30 years |
| Leasehold improvements | | lesser of 5 to 10 years or life of lease |
| Manufacturing equipment | | lesser of 5 to 10 years or life of equipment |
| Office, warehouse and automotive equipment | | 3 to 10 years |
Property, plant and equipment were as follows (in thousands):
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2025 | | 2024 |
| Land and improvements | $ | 78,420 | | | $ | 73,767 | |
| Buildings and improvements | 628,060 | | | 610,580 | |
| Manufacturing equipment | 491,351 | | | 481,400 | |
| Office, warehouse and automotive equipment | 74,870 | | | 71,901 | |
| Additions in progress | 29,623 | | | 25,205 | |
| Total property, plant and equipment | 1,302,324 | | | 1,262,853 | |
| Accumulated depreciation | (547,260) | | | (491,197) | |
| Net property, plant and equipment | $ | 755,064 | | | $ | 771,656 | |
About PP&E Disclosures
The PP&E disclosure details a company's physical asset base — land, buildings, machinery, and equipment — along with the depreciation methods and useful life assumptions that determine how these costs flow through the income statement. Capitalization policy thresholds reveal management's judgment on the boundary between expense and asset, directly affecting both reported earnings and asset values.
Key signals: changes in estimated useful lives or depreciation methods can materially shift reported earnings without any operational change. Compare capital expenditures against depreciation expense — when capex consistently trails depreciation, the asset base may be aging and underinvested. Watch for large asset impairments or write-downs that signal overvalued carrying amounts. Asset retirement obligations reveal future environmental or decommissioning costs that are often underappreciated. Compare PP&E intensity (PP&E-to-revenue) against industry peers to assess capital efficiency and competitive positioning.