Commitments and Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Environmental Matters

The Company is subject to federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. The Company does not anticipate any expenditures to comply with such laws and regulations that would have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity. The Company believes that its operations comply, in all material respects, with applicable federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations.

Litigation, Claims and Contingencies

The Company may become party to various legal actions that arise in the ordinary course of its business. The Company is also subject to audit by tax and other authorities for varying periods in various federal, state and local jurisdictions, and disputes may arise during the course of these audits. It is impossible to determine the ultimate liabilities that the Company may incur resulting from any of these lawsuits, claims, proceedings, audits, commitments, contingencies and related matters or the timing of these liabilities, if any. If these matters were to ultimately be resolved unfavorably, it is possible that such an outcome could have a material adverse effect upon the Company’s condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations, or liquidity. The Company, does not, however, anticipate such an outcome and it believes the ultimate resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations, or liquidity. Additionally, the Company currently expenses all legal costs as they are incurred.

In October 2018, American Electric received notification of a potential liability of $4.3 million associated with an asset purchase agreement to sell substantially all of its U.S. business assets and operations to Myers Power Products, Inc. (“Myers”). The contractual terms of the agreement included a provision for true-up of the net working capital, estimated as of the date of closing, to actual working capital as calculated by Myers and agreed to by American Electric. Any difference in the actual (conclusive) net working capital in relation to the estimated working capital at closing results in an adjustment to the purchase price. American Electric received notification from Myers of their actual working capital calculation. In the notification, Myers communicated a decrease of approximately $4.3 million in net working capital, in comparison to the estimated working capital used at contract closing. The contractual terms of the transaction provided that in the event Myers and American Electric could not agree to a conclusive net working capital adjustment, then all items remaining in dispute shall be submitted by either one of the parties within thirty (30) calendar days after the expiration of the resolution period to a national or regional independent accounting firm mutually acceptable to Myers and American Electric (the “Neutral Arbitrator”). The Neutral Arbitrator shall act as an arbitrator to determine the conclusive net working capital. The conclusive net working capital, once determined, may result in a purchase price adjustment due to Myers or to the Company. As of June 30, 2020, there have not been any updates to the potential liability. The Company is working with legal counsel to resolve the matter. The Company believes the ultimate resolution of this matter will not have a material adverse impact of the Company’s condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations, or liquidity.

In January of 2020, the Company received notification that its subsidiary, M&I Electric Industries, Inc. (“M&I”) has been named as a defendant in a class action lawsuit “Pelton Ray Barrett, et al. v. Arkema, Inc., et al.” as the result of a fire on August 31, 2017, on a site owned or operated by Arkema, Inc. allegedly resulting in chemical exposure. Other defendants in the suit, including M&I are alleged to have been responsible for the installation, repair, design, and/or maintenance of the electrical, refrigeration and environmental systems required to mitigate damages from the release of chemicals. The Company, through its insurance providers, has engaged outside legal counsel to defend against these claims. The Company believes the ultimate resolution of this matter will not have a material adverse impact of the Company’s condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations, or liquidity.