Basis of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and the accounts of Hyster-Yale's wholly owned domestic and international subsidiaries and majority-owned joint ventures (collectively, "Hyster-Yale" or the "Company"). All intercompany accounts and transactions among the consolidated companies are eliminated in consolidation.

The Company, through its wholly owned operating subsidiary, Hyster-Yale Group, Inc. ("HYG"), designs, engineers, manufactures, sells and services a comprehensive line of lift trucks, attachments and aftermarket parts marketed globally primarily under the Hyster® and Yale® brand names, mainly to independent Hyster® and Yale® retail dealerships. Lift trucks and component parts are manufactured in the United States, China, Northern Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Italy, Japan, Vietnam and Brazil.

The Company operates Bolzoni S.p.A. ("Bolzoni"). Bolzoni is a leading worldwide producer and distributor of attachments, forks and lift tables marketed under the Bolzoni®, Auramo® and Meyer® brand names. Bolzoni products are manufactured in the United States, Italy, China, Germany and Finland. Through the design, production and distribution of a wide range of attachments, Bolzoni has a strong presence in the market niche of lift-truck attachments and industrial material handling.

The Company operates Nuvera Fuel Cells, LLC ("Nuvera"). Nuvera is an alternative-power technology company focused on hydrogen fuel-cell stacks and engines.

Investments in Sumitomo NACCO Forklift Co., Ltd. (“SN”), a 50%-owned joint venture, and HYG Financial Services, Inc. ("HYGFS"), a 20%-owned joint venture, are accounted for by the equity method. SN operates manufacturing facilities in Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam from which the Company purchases certain components, service parts and lift trucks. Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. ("Sumitomo") owns the remaining 50% interest in SN. Each stockholder of SN is entitled to appoint directors representing 50% of the vote of SN’s board of directors. All matters related to policies and programs of operation, manufacturing and sales activities require mutual agreement between the Company and Sumitomo prior to a vote of SN’s board of directors. HYGFS is a joint venture with Wells Fargo Financial Leasing, Inc. (“WF”), formed primarily for the purpose of providing financial services to independent Hyster® and Yale® lift truck dealers and National Account customers in the United States. National Account customers are large customers with centralized purchasing and geographically dispersed operations in multiple dealer territories. The Company’s percentage share of the net income or loss from these equity investments is reported on the line “Income from unconsolidated affiliates” in the “Other (income) expense” section of the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations.

During the first nine months of 2020, broad measures taken by governments, businesses and others across the globe to limit the spread of novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") adversely affected the Company. The resulting significant decline in economic activity also reduced the demand for the Company's products and limited the availability of components from certain suppliers. Production was significantly reduced or suspended at the Company's Chinese and European facilities for certain periods during the first and early second quarter of 2020. The Company also initiated several cost reduction measures designed to ease liquidity pressure. These cost containment actions included spending and travel restrictions, significant reductions in temporary personnel, furloughs, suspension of incentive compensation and profit sharing, benefit reductions and salary reductions. In addition, the Company adjusted production levels at its manufacturing plants to align more closely with the reduced levels of demand, and worked closely with suppliers to help ensure current needs are met while also ensuring continuity as the market improves.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position of the Company as of September 30, 2020 and the results of its operations and changes in equity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 have been included. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2019 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information or notes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements.