General

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

General

General

Nature of Business

Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. ("SWM," "we," or the "Company"), headquartered in the United States of America, is a multinational diversified producer of highly engineered solutions and advanced materials for a variety of industries. The Company maintains two operating product line segments: Advanced Materials & Structures and Engineered Papers.

The Advanced Materials & Structures ("AMS") segment produces mostly resin-based rolled goods such as nets, films and meltblown materials, typically through an extrusion process or other non-woven technologies. AMS also provides converting and coating services. These products are used in a variety of specialty applications across the filtration, construction and infrastructure, transportation, industrial and medical end-markets.

The Engineered Papers ("EP") segment primarily serves the tobacco industry with production of various cigarette papers and reconstituted tobacco products ("Recon"). Traditional reconstituted tobacco leaf ("RTL") is used as a blend with virgin tobacco in cigarettes and used as wrappers and binders for cigars. Recon, as well as low ignition propensity ("LIP") cigarette paper, a specialty product with fire-safety features, are two key profit drivers, which together account for more than half of segment net sales. The EP segment also produces non-tobacco papers for premium applications, such as energy storage and industrial commodity paper grades.

We conduct business in over 90 countries and operate 24 production locations worldwide, with locations in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Russia, Brazil, China and Poland. We also have a 50% equity interest in two joint ventures in China. The first, China Tobacco Mauduit (Jiangmen) Paper Industry Ltd. ("CTM"), produces cigarette and porous plug wrap papers and the second, China Tobacco Schweitzer (Yunnan) Reconstituted Tobacco Co. Ltd. ("CTS"), produces RTL.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto have been prepared in accordance with the instructions of Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and do not include all of the information and disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). However, such information reflects all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of results for the interim periods.

The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and these notes thereto included herein should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as filed with the SEC on March 2, 2020.

Principles of Consolidation

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned, majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries. The Company’s share of the net income of its 50%-owned joint ventures in China is included in the condensed consolidated statements of income as Income from equity affiliates, net of income taxes. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, inventory valuation, useful lives of tangible and intangible assets, fair values, sales returns and rebates, receivables valuation, pension, postretirement and other benefits, restructuring and impairment, taxes and contingencies. Furthermore, the Company considered the potential impact from the global economic and social disruption caused by the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) in estimates used in the Company’s financial statements as of and for the period ended March 31, 2020. The Company determined changes to these estimates did not have a material impact on our assessment of recoverability of our assets, including Accounts receivable, net, Goodwill, Intangible assets or long-lived assets. There may also be long-term undetermined effects on some of our customers and suppliers, and as a result of these uncertainties, actual results could differ materially from these estimates and assumptions.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Topic 326). The update requires that an entity measure and recognize expected credit losses for certain financial instruments, including trade receivables, as an allowance that reflects a current estimate of credit losses expected to be incurred. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2020 on a prospective basis. There was no material impact upon adoption and the Company does not expect the provisions of this update to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, "Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment." The amendment eliminates the second step of the analysis that required the measurement of a goodwill impairment by comparing the implied value of a reporting unit’s goodwill and the goodwill’s carrying amount. While the provisions of the standard will simplify the measurement of goodwill impairments, the Company does not expect a material impact from adoption, which was effective as of January 1, 2020.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, "Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurements." The new standard modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements in Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement, based on the concepts in the Concepts

Statement, including the consideration of costs and benefits. The provisions of this ASU are effective for years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The amendments on changes in unrealized gains and losses, the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements, and the narrative description of measurement uncertainty should be applied prospectively for only the most recent interim or annual period presented in the initial fiscal year of adoption. All other amendments should be applied retrospectively to all periods presented upon their effective date. The Company has adopted this guidance effective as of January 1, 2020, the provisions of which will not impact existing fair value measurements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, "Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract." The new standard provides updated guidance surrounding implementation costs associated with cloud computing arrangements that are service contracts. The provisions of this ASU are effective for years beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company adopted the provisions of this guidance prospectively as of January 1, 2020. There was no material impact upon adoption and the Company does not expect the provisions of this update to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-14, "Compensation-Retirement Benefits-Defined Benefit Plans-General (Subtopic 715-20): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans." The new standard modifies the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement plans. The provisions of this ASU are effective for years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. The new standard requires the amendments to be applied on a retrospective basis for all periods presented. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of the pronouncement and does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes." The new standard simplifies income tax accounting requirements by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740, Income Taxes. The provisions of this ASU are effective for years beginning after December 15, 2020 with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of the pronouncement and does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting." The new standard provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform if certain criteria are met. The amendments in this ASU are effective for all entities as of March 12, 2020, through December 31, 2022. The Company does not currently have any contracts that have been changed to a new reference rate but will continue to evaluate the applicability and impact of the guidance.