GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS
The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment are as follows (in thousands):
Fire SafetySpecialty ProductsTotal
Balance, December 31, 2023
$863,889 $172,390 $1,036,279 
Foreign currency translation(11,135)(2,457)(13,592)
Purchase price allocation for business combination— 11,856 11,856 
Balance, December 31, 2024
$852,754 $181,789 $1,034,543 
Foreign currency translation13,278 5,212 18,490 
Purchase price allocation for business combinations— 12,176 12,176 
Measurement period adjustment for business combination— 
Balance, December 31, 2025
$866,032 $199,179 $1,065,211 
Intangible assets and related accumulated amortization as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 are as follows (in thousands):
December 31, 2025
Estimated
Useful Life
(in years)
Gross ValueAccumulated ImpairmentForeign
Currency
Translation
Accumulated
Amortization
Net Book
Value
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets:
Customer lists8to20$790,000 $— $(5,511)$(156,300)$628,189 
Technology and patents(1)
4to20281,426 (40,738)(28)(55,856)184,804 
Tradenames8to20108,100 — (1,024)(20,746)86,330 
Balance, December 31, 2025
$1,179,526 $(40,738)$(6,563)$(232,902)$899,323 
(1) In May 2025, the Company settled its trade secret litigation with a subsidiary of Compass Minerals International, Inc. and simultaneously acquired related intangible assets, property, plant and equipment, and inventories. The total purchase consideration for the asset acquisition was $20.0 million in cash, of which $15.2 million was allocated to the technology-related intangible assets. The acquired technology-related intangible assets will be amortized on a straight-line basis over its estimated useful life of 4 years.
December 31, 2024
Estimated
Useful Life
(in years)
Gross ValueAccumulated ImpairmentForeign
Currency
Translation
Accumulated
Amortization
Net Book
Value
Definite-Lived Intangible Assets:
Customer lists10to20$767,000 $— $(10,659)$(118,596)$637,745 
Technology and patents10to20257,100 (40,738)(4,187)(38,868)173,307 
Tradenames10to20104,500 — (1,393)(15,742)87,365 
Balance, December 31, 2024
$1,128,600 $(40,738)$(16,239)$(173,206)$898,417 
During the year ended December 31, 2023, due to a downward revision in the revenue forecast related to a contingent earn-out eligible fire retardant product acquired by the Company in May 2020 during the purchase of LaderaTECH, Inc. (“LaderaTECH”), the Company determined that the $40.7 million in carrying value of the technology underlying the contingent earn-out eligible fire retardant product is no longer recoverable. As a result, during the year ended December 31, 2023 the Company recorded an impairment of $40.7 million in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive (loss) income.
Amortization expense for definite-lived intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 was $59.7 million, $55.0 million and $55.1 million, respectively.
Estimated annual amortization expense of intangible assets for the five years subsequent to December 31, 2025 and thereafter is as follows (in thousands):
Years Ending December 31:
Amount
2026$62,846 
202762,846 
202862,846 
202960,625 
203059,039 
Thereafter591,121 
Total$899,323 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 26, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 20, 2025
2023Feb 22, 2024
2022Mar 1, 2023
2021Mar 31, 2022

About Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosures

Goodwill and intangible asset disclosures reveal the premium paid in acquisitions and how management assesses whether that premium retains its value. Since goodwill is no longer amortized under US GAAP, the annual impairment test is the only mechanism that adjusts carrying values downward — making the assumptions behind that test critically important for investors.

Key signals: a history of goodwill impairments suggests management consistently overpays for acquisitions. Watch the gap between reporting unit fair value and carrying amount — when fair value exceeds carrying amount by less than 10-20%, a small decline in business performance could trigger a write-down. For finite-lived intangibles, examine useful life assumptions across customer relationships, technology, and trade names; aggressive estimates inflate near-term earnings. Compare total intangibles-to-total-assets ratios against peers to assess acquisition dependency. Rising goodwill as a percentage of equity can signal balance sheet fragility.