| Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation
Astec Australia Pty Ltd Astec do Brasil Fabricacao de Equipamentos Ltda. (93% owned)
Astec, Inc. Astec Insurance Company
Astec Industries LatAm SpA Astec Mobile Machinery GmbH
Astec Mobile Screens, Inc. Breaker Technology, Inc.
Breaker Technology Ltd. Carlson Paving Products, Inc.
CEI Enterprises, Inc. GEFCO, Inc.
Heatec, Inc. Johnson Crushers International, Inc.
Kolberg-Pioneer, Inc. Osborn Engineered Products SA (Pty) Ltd
Peterson Pacific Corp. Power Flame Incorporated
RexCon, Inc. Roadtec, Inc.
Telestack Limited Telsmith, Inc. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Use of Estimates - The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and disclosed in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Foreign Currency Translation - Subsidiaries located in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Northern Ireland, and South Africa operate primarily using local functional currencies. Accordingly, assets and liabilities of these subsidiaries are translated using exchange rates in effect at the end of the period, and revenues and costs are translated using average exchange rates for the period. The resulting adjustments are presented as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Foreign currency transaction gains and losses, net are included in cost of sales and amounted to a loss of $618 in 2019 , and gains of $539 and $431 in 2018 and 2017 , respectively. Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Level 1 - Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2 - Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities; or unadjusted quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active; or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability.
Level 3 - Inputs reflect management’s best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. Consideration is given to the risk inherent in the valuation technique and the risk inherent in the inputs to the model. All financial assets and liabilities held by the Company at December 31, 2019 and 2018 are classified as Level 1 or Level 2, as summarized in Note 3, Fair Value Measurements. Cash and Cash Equivalents - All highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased are considered to be cash and cash equivalents. Investments - Investments consist primarily of investment-grade marketable securities. Trading securities are carried at fair value, with unrealized holding gains and losses included in net income (loss). Realized gains and losses are accounted for on the specific identification method. Purchases and sales are recorded on a trade-date basis. Management determines the appropriate classification of its investments at the time of acquisition and reevaluates such determination at each balance sheet date. Accounts Receivable - The Company sells products to a wide variety of customers. Accounts receivable are carried at their outstanding principal amounts, less an allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company extends credit to its customers based on an evaluation of the customers’ financial condition generally without requiring collateral, although the Company normally requires advance payments or letters of credit on large equipment orders. Credit risk is driven by conditions within the economy and the industry and is principally dependent on each customer’s financial condition. To minimize credit risk, the Company monitors credit levels and financial conditions of customers on a continuing basis. After considering historical trends for uncollectible accounts, current economic conditions and specific customer recent payment history and financial stability, the Company records an allowance for doubtful accounts at a level which management believes is sufficient to cover probable credit losses. Amounts are deemed past due when they exceed the payment terms agreed to by the customer in the sales contract. Past due amounts are charged off when reasonable collection efforts have been exhausted and the amounts are deemed uncollectible by management. As of December 31, 2019 , concentrations of credit risk with respect to receivables are limited due to the wide variety of customers. Allowance for Doubtful Accounts - The following table represents a rollforward of the allowance for doubtful accounts for the years ended December 31, 2019 , 2018 and 2017 :
Year Ended December 31
2019 2018 2017
Allowance balance, beginning of year $ 1,184 $ 1,716 $ 1,511
Provision 1,249 223 482
Write offs (1,016 ) (696 ) (308 )
Other (1 ) (59 ) 31
Allowance balance, end of year $ 1,416 $ 1,184 $ 1,716 Inventories Raw material inventory is comprised of purchased steel and other purchased items for use in the manufacturing process or held for sale for the after-market parts business. The category also includes the manufacturing cost of completed equipment sub-assemblies produced for either integration into equipment manufactured at a later date or for sale in the Company’s after-market parts business. Work-in-process inventory consists of the value of materials, labor and overhead incurred to date in the manufacturing of incomplete equipment or incomplete equipment sub-assemblies being produced. Finished goods inventory consists of completed equipment manufactured for sale to customers. Used equipment inventory consists of equipment accepted in trade or purchased on the open market. This category also includes equipment rented to prospective customers on a short-term or month-to-month basis. Used equipment is valued at the lower of acquired or trade-in cost or net realizable value determined on each separate unit. Each unit of rental equipment is valued at the lower of original manufacturing, acquired or trade-in cost or net realizable value. Inventories are valued at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or net realizable value, which requires the Company to make specific estimates, assumptions and judgments in determining the amount, if any, of reductions in the valuation of inventories to their net realizable values. The net realizable values of the Company’s products are impacted by a number of factors, including changes in the price of steel, competitive sales pricing, quantities of inventories on hand, the age of the individual inventory items, market acceptance of the Company’s products, the Company’s normal gross margins, actions by the Company or its competitors, the condition of our used and rental inventory and general economic factors. Once an inventory item’s value has been deemed to be less than cost, a net realizable value allowance is calculated and a new “cost basis” for that item is effectively established. This new cost is retained for that item until such time as the item is disposed of or the Company determines that an additional write-down is necessary. Additional write-downs may be required in the future based upon changes in assumptions due to general economic downturns in the markets in which the Company operates, changes in competitor pricing, new product design or other technological advances introduced by the Company or its competitors and other factors unique to individual inventory items. The most significant component of the Company’s inventory is steel. A significant decline in the market price of steel could result in a decline in the market value of the equipment or parts we sell. During periods of significant declining steel prices, the Company reviews the valuation of its inventories to determine if reductions are needed in the recorded value of inventory on hand to its net realizable value. The Company reviews the individual items included in its finished goods, used equipment and rental equipment inventory on a model-by-model or unit-by-unit basis to determine if any item’s net realizable value is below its carrying value. This analysis is expanded to include items in work-in-process and raw material inventory if factors indicate those items may also be impacted. In performing this review, judgments are made and, in addition to the factors discussed above, additional consideration is given to the age of the specific items of used or rental inventory, prior sales offers or lack thereof, the physical condition of the specific items and general market conditions for the specific items. Additionally, an analysis of raw material inventory is performed to calculate reserves needed for slow-moving inventory based upon quantities of items on hand, the age of those items and their recent and expected future usage or sale. When the Company determines that the value of inventory has become impaired through damage, deterioration, obsolescence, changes in price levels, excessive levels of inventory or other causes, the Company reduces the carrying value to the net realizable value based on estimates, assumptions and judgments made from the information available at that time. Abnormal amounts of idle facility expense, freight, handling cost and wasted materials are recognized as current period charges. Assets Held for Sale Property and Equipment - Property and equipment is stated at cost. Depreciation is calculated for financial reporting purposes using the straight-line method based on the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows: airplanes (20 years), buildings (40 years) and equipment (3 to 10 years). Both accelerated and straight-line methods are used for tax compliance purposes. Routine repair and maintenance costs and planned major maintenance are expensed when incurred. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - The Company classifies intangible assets as either goodwill or intangible assets with definite lives subject to amortization. The Company tests intangible assets with definite lives for impairment if conditions exist that indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Such conditions may include an economic downturn in a geographic market or a change in the assessment of future operations. An impairment charge is recorded when the carrying value of the definite lived intangible asset is not recoverable by the future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated from the use of the asset. The Company determines the useful lives of identifiable intangible assets after considering the specific facts and circumstances related to each intangible asset. Factors considered when determining useful lives include the contractual terms of agreements, the history of the asset, the Company’s long-term strategy for the use of the asset, any laws or other local regulations which could impact the useful life of the asset, and other economic factors, including competition and specific market conditions. Intangible assets that are deemed to have definite lives are amortized over their useful lives as follows: dealer network and customer relationships: 8-19 years; trade names: 14-15 years; other: 3-19 years. Goodwill is not amortized. The Company tests goodwill for impairment during the fourth quarter of each year or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate that goodwill might be impaired. Beginning in 2018, the Company changed its annual goodwill impairment testing date from December 31 to October 31 to better align the testing date with its financial planning process and alleviate resource constraints. The Company would not expect a materially different outcome in any given year as a result of testing on October 31 as compared to December 31. The Company uses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not (a likelihood of more than 50 percent) that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, including goodwill. The Company estimates the fair values of each of its reporting units with goodwill using a combination of the income and market approaches. The income approach uses a reporting unit’s projection of estimated future operating results and cash flows which are then discounted using a weighted average cost of capital determined based on current market conditions for the individual reporting unit. The projection uses management’s best estimates of cash flows over the projection period based on estimates of annual and terminal growth rates in sales and costs, changes in operating margins, selling, general and administrative expenses, working capital requirements and capital expenditures. The market approach relies upon valuation multiples derived from stock prices and enterprise values of publicly traded companies comparable to the Company. The multiples under the market approach are used to develop estimates of the operating value of the reporting units. Other factors used in evaluating the fair value of a reporting unit could include deterioration in the general economy, fluctuations in foreign exchange, deterioration in the industry or markets in which the reporting unit operates, an increased competitive market, a regulatory or political development in the market, increases in raw materials, labor costs or other factors that have a negative effect on earnings and cash flows, a decline in actual or budgeted earnings and cash flows, or entity specific changes in management, key personnel, strategy or customer base. If the fair value of a reporting unit is found to be less than its book value, the Company will record an impairment loss equal to the excess, if any, of the book value over the fair value. The fair value of reporting units that do not have goodwill are estimated using either the income or market approaches, depending on which approach is the most appropriate for each reporting unit. The fair value of the reporting units that serve operating units in supporting roles, such as the captive insurance company and the corporate reporting unit are estimated using the cost approach. The sum of the fair values of all reporting units is compared to the fair value of the consolidated Company, calculated using the market approach, which is inferred from the market capitalization of the Company at the date of the valuation, to confirm that the Company’s estimation of the fair value of its reporting units is reasonable. Determining the fair values of the Company’s reporting units involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making these estimates and assumptions, actual results could differ materially from those estimates. Impairment of Long-lived Assets - In the event that facts and circumstances indicate the carrying amounts of long-lived assets may be impaired, an evaluation of recoverability is performed. If an evaluation is required, the estimated future undiscounted cash flows associated with the asset are compared to the carrying amount for each asset (or group of assets) to determine if a write-down is required. If this review indicates that the assets will not be recoverable, the carrying values of the impaired assets are reduced to their estimated fair value. Fair value is estimated using discounted cash flows, prices for similar assets or other valuation techniques. Self-Insurance Reserves For general liability claims, the captive is liable for the first $1,000 per occurrence. The Company carries general liability, excess liability and umbrella policies for claims in excess of amounts covered by the captive. For workers’ compensation claims, the captive is liable for the first $350 per occurrence. The Company utilizes a large national insurance company as third-party administrator for workers’ compensation claims and carries insurance coverage for claims liabilities in excess of amounts covered by the captive. The financial statements of the captive are consolidated into the consolidated financial statements of the Company. The short-term and long-term reserves for claims and potential claims related to general liability and workers’ compensation under the captive are included in accrued loss reserves or other long-term liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets depending on the expected timing of future payments. The undiscounted reserves are actuarially determined to cover the ultimate cost of each claim based on the Company’s evaluation of the type and severity of individual claims and historical information, primarily its own claims experience, along with assumptions about future events. Changes in assumptions, as well as changes in actual experience, could cause these estimates to change in the future. However, the Company does not believe it is reasonably likely that the reserve level will materially change in the foreseeable future. The Company is self-insured for health and prescription claims under its Group Health Insurance Plan at all but one of the Company’s domestic manufacturing subsidiaries. The Company carries reinsurance coverage to limit its exposure for individual health claims above certain limits. Third parties administer health claims and prescription medication claims. The Company maintains a reserve for the self-insured health plan which is included in accrued loss reserves on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. This reserve includes both unpaid claims and an estimate of claims incurred but not reported, based on historical claims and payment experience. Historically, the reserves have been sufficient to provide for claims payments. Changes in actual claims experience or payment patterns could cause the reserve to change, but the Company does not believe it is reasonably likely that the reserve level will materially change in the near future. The remaining U.S. subsidiary is covered under a fully insured group health plan. Employees of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries are insured under separate health plans. No reserves are necessary for these fully-insured health plans. Revenue Recognition Depending on the terms of the arrangement with the customer, recognition of a portion of the consideration received may be deferred and recorded as a contract liability if we have to satisfy a future obligation, such as to provide installation assistance, service work to be performed in the future without charge, floor plan interest to be reimbursed to our dealer customers, payments for extended warranties, for annual rebates given to certain high volume customers or for obligations for future estimated returns to be allowed based upon historical trends. Certain contracts include terms and conditions pursuant to which the Company recognizes revenues upon the completion of production, and the equipment is subsequently stored at the Company’s plant at the customer’s request. Revenue is recorded on such contracts upon the customer’s assumption of title and risk of ownership, which transfers control of the equipment, and when collectability is reasonably assured. In addition, there must be a fixed schedule of delivery of the goods consistent with the customer’s business practices, the Company must not have retained any specific performance obligations such that the earnings process is not complete and the goods must have been segregated from the Company’s inventory prior to revenue recognition. The Company had one large wood pellet plant sale through 2018 and other smaller non-wood pellet plant orders in 2019 on which revenue was recorded over time based upon the ratio of costs incurred to estimated total costs. Penalties were accounted for as a reduction in sales. Service and Equipment Installation Revenue – Purchasers of certain of the Company’s equipment often contract with the Company to provide installation services. Installation is typically separately priced in the contract based upon observable market prices for stand-alone performance obligations or a cost plus margin approach when one is not available. The Company may also provide future services on equipment sold at the customer’s request, which may be for equipment repairs after the warranty period expires. Service is billed on a cost plus margin approach or at a standard rate per hour. Used Equipment Sales - Used equipment is obtained by trade-in on new equipment sales, as a separate purchase in the open market or from the Company’s equipment rental business. Revenues from the sale of used equipment are recognized upon transfer of control to the customer at agreed upon pricing. Freight Revenue – Under a practical expedient allowed under ASU 2014-09, the Company records revenues earned for shipping and handling as revenue at the time of shipment, regardless of whether or not it is identified as a separate performance obligation. The cost of shipping and handling is classified as cost of goods sold concurrently. Other Revenues – Miscellaneous revenues and offsets not associated with one of the above classifications include rental revenues, extended warranty revenues, early pay discounts and floor plan interest reimbursements. Advertising Expense - The cost of advertising is expensed as incurred. The Company incurred $3,668 , $4,136 and $3,793 in advertising costs during 2019 , 2018 and 2017 , respectively, which are included in selling, general and administrative expenses. Income Taxes The Company evaluates a tax position to determine whether it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination, based upon the technical merits of the position. A tax position that meets the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is subject to a measurement assessment to determine the amount of benefit to recognize and the appropriate reserve to establish, if any. If a tax position does not meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, no benefit is recognized. The Company is periodically audited by U.S. federal and state as well as foreign tax authorities. While it is often difficult to predict final outcome or timing of resolution of any particular tax matter, the Company believes its reserve for uncertain tax positions is adequate to reduce the uncertain positions to the greatest amount of benefit that is more likely than not realizable. Product Warranty Reserve - The Company accrues for the estimated cost of product warranties at the time revenue is recognized. Warranty obligations by product line or model are evaluated based on historical warranty claims experience. For equipment, the Company’s standard product warranty terms generally include post-sales support and repairs of products at no additional charge for periods ranging from three months to two years or up to a specified number of hours of operation. For parts from component suppliers, the Company relies on the original manufacturer’s warranty that accompanies those parts. Generally, Company fabricated parts are not covered by specific warranty terms. Although failure of fabricated parts due to material or workmanship is rare, if it occurs, the Company’s policy is to replace fabricated parts at no additional charge. Estimated warranty obligations are based upon warranty terms, product failure rates, repair costs and current period machine shipments. If actual product failure rates, repair costs, service delivery costs or post-sales support costs differ from our estimates, revisions to the estimated warranty liability may be required. Pension and Retirement Plans The Company recognizes the overfunded or underfunded status of its pension plan as an asset or liability. Actuarial gains and losses, amortization of prior service cost (credit) and amortization of transition obligations are recognized through other comprehensive income (loss) in the year in which the changes occur. The Company measures the funded status of its pension plan as of the date of the Company’s fiscal year-end. Stock-based Compensation - The Company recognizes the cost of employee and director services received in exchange for equity awards in the consolidated financial statements based on the grant date calculated fair value of the awards. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense over the period during which a recipient is required to provide service in exchange for the award (the vesting period). The Company’s equity awards are further described in Note 16, Shareholders’ Equity. Earnings Per Share - Basic earnings (loss) per share is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding and diluted earnings (loss) per share includes potential dilutive effects of restricted stock units and shares held in the Company’s supplemental executive retirement plan. The following table sets forth a reconciliation of the number of shares used in the computation of basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share:
Year Ended December 31
2019 2018 2017
Denominator:
Denominator for basic earnings (loss) per share 22,515 22,902 23,025
Effect of dilutive securities:
Restricted stock units 111 – 96
Supplemental executive retirement plan 48 – 63
Denominator for diluted earnings (loss) per share 22,674 22,902 23,184 Derivatives and Hedging Activities - The Company recognizes all derivatives in the consolidated balance sheets at their fair value. Derivatives that are not hedges are adjusted to fair value through income. If the derivative is a hedge, depending on the nature of the hedge, changes in the fair value of derivatives are either offset against the change in fair value of assets, liabilities, or firm commitments through income or recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) until the hedged item is recognized in income. The ineffective portion of a derivative’s change in fair value is immediately recognized in income. From time to time, the Company’s foreign subsidiaries enter into foreign currency exchange contracts to mitigate exposure to fluctuation in currency exchange rates. See Note 13, Derivative Financial Instruments, regarding foreign exchange contracts outstanding at December 31, 2019 and 2018 . Business Combinations and Divestitures - The Company accounts for business combinations using the acquisition method. Accordingly, intangible assets are recorded apart from goodwill if they arise from contractual or legal rights or if they are separable from goodwill. Related third-party acquisition costs are expensed as incurred and contingent consideration is booked at its fair value as part of the purchase price. Business divestitures are accounted for using the exit and disposal method including the assets held for sale guidance. See Note 21, Business Combinations, regarding acquisitions and divestitures announced or completed by the Company in the years ended December 31, 2019 , 2018 and 2017 . Subsequent Events Review - Management has evaluated events occurring between December 31, 2019 and the date these consolidated financial statements were filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for proper recording or disclosure therein. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments”. The standard changes how credit losses are measured for most financial assets and certain other instruments that currently are not measured through net income (loss). The standard will require an expected loss model for instruments measured at amortized cost as opposed to the current incurred loss approach. In valuing available for sale debt securities, allowances will be required to be recorded, rather than the current approach of reducing the carrying amount, for other than temporary impairments. A cumulative adjustment to retained earnings is to be recorded as of the beginning of the period of adoption to reflect the impact of applying the provisions of the standard. Certain provisions of ASU No. 2016-13 were modified or amended by the issuance of ASU 2019-11, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses. The ASU makes several narrow–scope amendments to the new credit losses standard, including an amendment requiring entities to include certain expected recoveries of the amortized cost basis of previously written off, or expected to be written off, in the allowance for credit losses for purchase credit deteriorated assets. The amendment also provides transition relief related to troubled debt restructurings, allow entities to exclude accrued interest amounts from certain required disclosures and clarify the requirements for applying the collateral maintenance expedient. The standards are effective for public companies for periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and the Company expects to adopt the new standards as of January 1, 2020. As the Company’s credit losses are typically minimal, the Company does not expect the adoption of the new standards to have a material impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12, “Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), Targeted Improvements to Hedging Activities”, to improve the financial reporting of hedging relationships to better portray the economic results of an entity’s risk management activities in its financial statements. The new guidance is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted in any interim period after its issuance. The Company adopted the new standard effective January 1, 2019. The application of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, “Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220), Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income”, which permits companies to reclassify tax effects stranded in accumulated other comprehensive income (“OCI”) as a result of U.S. tax reform impacting tax rates or other items, such as changing from a worldwide tax system to a territorial system, from OCI to retained earnings. Other tax effects stranded in OCI due to other reasons, such as prior changes in tax laws or changes in valuation allowances, may not be reclassified. The new standard was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and the Company adopted its provisions as of January 1, 2019. As a result of adopting this new standard, the Company reclassified $721 In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement” which aims to improve the overall usefulness of disclosures to financial statement users and reduce unnecessary costs to companies when preparing fair value measurement disclosures. The standard is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019 with early adoption permitted. The Company has not yet adopted this new standard. The Company does not expect the adoption of this new standard to have a material impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, “Income Taxes (Topic 740), Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes”, which eliminates certain exceptions related to the approach for intra-period tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. The new guidance also simplifies aspects of the accounting for franchise taxes and enacted changes in tax laws or rates and clarifies the accounting for transactions that result in a step-up in the tax basis of goodwill. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted in interim or annual periods if the Company has not yet issued financial statements. If the Company elects to early adopt the amendments in an interim period, it should reflect any adjustments as of the beginning of the annual period that includes the interim period and must adopt all amendments in the same period applying all guidance prospectively, except for certain amendments. The Company has not determined the impact of the statement’s provision on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows. |
