Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Related Data (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Mar. 04, 2017

Basis of Consolidation. The consolidated financial statements include the balances of Apogee Enterprises, Inc. and its subsidiaries (Apogee, the Company or we) after elimination of intercompany balances and transactions. We consolidate variable interest entities where it has been determined that the Company is the primary beneficiary of those entities' operations.

Fiscal Year

Fiscal Year. Our fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to the last day of February, or as determined by the Board of Directors. Fiscal 2017 consisted of 53 weeks, while 2016 and 2015 each consisted of 52 weeks. Our Brazilian subsidiary follows a calendar year-end and is consolidated on a two-month lag.

Accounting Estimates

Accounting Estimates. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.

Cash Equivalents

Cash Equivalents. Highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less are included in cash equivalents and are stated at cost, which approximates fair value

Inventories

Inventories. Inventories, which consist primarily of purchased glass and aluminum, are valued at lower of cost or market using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment. Property, plant and equipment (PP&E) is recorded at cost. Significant improvements and renewals that extend the useful life of the asset are capitalized. Repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred. When an asset is retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any related gains or losses are included in selling, general and administrative expenses. Long-lived assets to be held and used, such as PP&E, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.

Depreciation is computed on a straight-line basis, based on the following estimated useful lives:



	Years
Buildings and improvements	15 to 25
Machinery and equipment	3 to 15
Office equipment and furniture	3 to 10

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets. Goodwill represents the excess of the cost over the net tangible and identified intangible assets of acquired businesses. We evaluate goodwill for impairment annually at our year-end, or more frequently if impairment indicators exist. We have eight business units, each of which represents a reporting unit for the goodwill impairment analysis. This year we elected first to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount (commonly referred to as “step 0”). For certain of our reporting units, we also completed step 1 of the goodwill assessment process, which compares the fair value of each of our reporting units to carrying value, including goodwill. If the fair value exceeds the carrying value, goodwill impairment is not indicated. In all periods presented, we have followed a consistent discounted cash flow methodology in our step one evaluation of goodwill for impairment. Based on our analysis, we concluded that it was not more likely than not that the fair value of any reporting unit was less than carrying amount.

Intangible assets with defined useful lives are amortized based on estimated useful lives ranging from 18 months to 20 years and are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Intangible assets with an indefinite useful life are tested for impairment annually at our year-end, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired. The estimated useful lives of all intangible assets are reviewed annually, and we have determined that the remaining lives were appropriate.

Self-Insurance

Self-Insurance. We obtain commercial insurance for potential losses for general liability, employment practices, workers' compensation, automobile liability, architect's and engineer's errors and omissions risk, product rework and other miscellaneous coverages. A substantial portion of this risk is retained on a self-insured basis through our wholly-owned insurance subsidiary. We establish a reserve for estimated ultimate losses on reported claims and those incurred but not yet reported utilizing actuarial projections. Reserves are classified within accrued or long-term self-insurance reserves based on expectations of when the estimated loss will be paid.

Additionally, we maintain a self-insurance reserve for health insurance programs offered to eligible employees, included within accrued self-insurance reserves. The reserve includes an estimate for losses on reported claims as well as for amounts incurred but not yet reported, based on historical trends.

Warranty

Warranty. We are subject to claims associated with our products and services, principally as a result of disputes with our customers involving the performance or aesthetics of our architectural products and services. We reserve estimated exposures on known claims, as well as on a portion of anticipated claims for product warranty and rework costs, based on historical product liability claims as a ratio of sales. Our warranty reserves are included in other current and non-current liabilities, based on the estimated timing of dispute resolution.

Environmental Liability

Environmental Liability. We recognize environmental clean-up liabilities on an undiscounted basis when loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated based on estimates by specialists and applicable law. Such estimates are based primarily on the estimated cost of investigation and remediation required, and the likelihood that, where applicable, other potentially responsible parties will not be able to fulfill their commitments at the sites where the Company may be jointly and severally liable. The reserve for environmental liabilities is included in other current and non-current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets.

Foreign Currency

Foreign Currency. The financial statements of subsidiaries located outside of the U.S. are measured in their functional currency, which is local currency. Assets and liabilities of these subsidiaries are translated at the exchange rates at the balance sheet date. Income and expense items are translated using average monthly exchange rates. Translation adjustments are included in accumulated other comprehensive loss in the consolidated balance sheets.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue when title has transferred, except within our Architectural Services segment and for one business within our Architectural Framing Systems segment, which enter into fixed-price contracts for projects typically performed over a 12- to 24-month timeframe. We record revenue for these contracts on a percentage-of-completion basis as we are able to reasonably estimate total contract revenue and total contract costs. We compare the total costs incurred to date to the total estimated costs for the contract, and record that proportion of the total contract revenue in the period. Contract costs include materials, labor and other direct costs related to contract performance. We believe utilizing the cost-to-cost method for revenue recognition provides the greatest degree of accuracy in measuring revenue throughout the contract period. Provisions are established for estimated losses, if any, on uncompleted contracts in the period in which such losses are determined. Amounts representing contract change orders, claims or other items are included in contract revenue only upon customer approval. Approximately 26 percent of our consolidated net sales in fiscal 2017, and 25 percent in each of fiscal 2016 and 2015, were recorded on a percentage-of-completion basis.

Revenue excludes sales taxes as the Company considers itself a pass-through conduit for collecting and remitting sales taxes.

Pricing and Sales Incentives

Pricing and Sales Incentives. The Company records estimated reductions to revenue for customer programs and incentive offerings, including pricing arrangements, promotions and other volume-based incentives, at the later of the date revenue is recognized or the incentive is offered. Sales incentives given to customers are recorded as a reduction to net sales unless (1) the Company receives an identifiable benefit for goods or services in exchange for the consideration, and (2) the Company can reasonably estimate the fair value of the benefit received.

Shipping and Handling

Shipping and Handling. All amounts billed to a customer in a sales transaction related to shipping and handling represent revenues earned and are reported as revenue. Costs incurred by the Company for shipping and handling are reported as cost of sales.

Research and Development

Research and Development. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred within selling, general and administrative expenses, and were $8.6 million, $8.0 million and $6.5 million for fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Of these amounts, $2.2 million, $2.4 million and $2.4 million, respectively, were focused primarily upon design of custom window and curtainwall systems in accordance with customer specifications and are included in cost of sales.

Advertising

Advertising. Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and were $1.1 million in fiscal 2017, $1.2 million in fiscal 2016, and $1.1 million in fiscal 2015, and they are included in selling, general and administrative expenses.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes. The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities based upon the future tax consequences of temporary differences between financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. See Note 14 for additional information regarding income taxes.

Subsequent Events

Subsequent Events. We have evaluated subsequent events for potential recognition and disclosure through the date of this filing and determined that there were no subsequent events that required recognition or disclosure in the consolidated financial statements.

New Accounting Standards

New Accounting Standards. In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies several aspects of the accounting and reporting for employee share-based payment transactions. The new standard requires excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies to be recorded in the statements of income as a component of the provision for income taxes when stock awards vest or are settled. In addition, it eliminates the requirement to reclassify cash flows related to excess tax benefits from operating activities to financing activities on the consolidated statements of cash flows. We elected to early adopt the new guidance in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, with the following impacts to our consolidated financial statements:

•

Differences between the accounting expense and the tax deduction for share-based compensation (excess tax benefits or deficits) are now recognized in the income statement within income taxes upon vesting or settlement of the award and are treated as discrete tax items impacting our effective tax rate in the period of settlement. Previously, these differences were recognized within additional paid-in capital. Net tax benefits related to share-based compensation awards of $0.9 million for the year were recognized in the fourth quarter as a reduction of income tax expense in the consolidated statements of operations. The impact of this change to prior interim reporting periods in fiscal 2017 was not material.


•	The excess tax benefits from share-based compensation are included within the income taxes line as part of operating activities in the statement of cash flows, and are no longer included as a financing activity. This change is applied retrospectively.

The standard allows for an accounting policy election to continue to account for forfeitures as an estimate or to account for forfeitures as they occur. We elect to recognize forfeitures of any share-based awards as they occur.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, which requires all deferred tax assets and liabilities, along with any related valuation allowance, to be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. We early adopted this standard in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, and prior periods were not retrospectively adjusted. The adoption of this standard did not have a significant impact to our consolidated financial statements in any period presented.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which simplifies the accounting for goodwill impairment by requiring impairment charges to be based on the first step in the current two-step impairment test process. The new guidance eliminates the current requirement to calculate a goodwill impairment charge using step 2. The standard is applicable to impairment tests performed in periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating early adoption of this guidance for our future annual goodwill impairment review process.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows, and in November 2016, it issued 2016-18, Restricted Cash. Both standards provide guidance for presentation of certain topics within the statement of cash flows, including presenting restricted cash within cash and cash equivalents, and are intended to improve consistency in presentation. The new classification guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, our fiscal year 2019, and is to be applied retrospectively for comparability across all periods. These standards may be adopted early, and we are considering the timing of adoption but we do not expect this guidance to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which provides for a comprehensive change to lease accounting. The new standard requires that a lessee recognize a lease obligation liability and a right to use asset for virtually all leases of property, plant and equipment, subsequently amortized over the lease term. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, with a modified retrospective transition. We are currently evaluating whether we will early adopt this standard in our fiscal year 2019 to align with the adoption of the new revenue recognition standard discussed below. The adoption of this standard will result in reflecting assets and liabilities for the value of our leased property and equipment on our consolidated balance sheet but it is not expected to have a significant impact on our consolidated results of operations.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which outlines a single comprehensive model to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance. Under the new standard, an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. This guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, our fiscal 2019. We are in the process of fully evaluating the impact this standard will have on our financial statements. However, at this time we have determined the following:


•	The standard allows a full retrospective or modified retrospective transition method. We plan to adopt the new guidance following the full retrospective method.

•

We expect to have business units that will continue to recognize revenue at the point in time when goods are shipped, as that represents when control is transferred, and business units that will continue to recognize revenue over time, following a cost-to-cost percentage of completion method of revenue recognition. Additionally, we expect that one of our business units in the Architectural Framing Systems segment will change from recognizing revenue at a point in time to recognizing revenue over time to better reflect transfer of control to the customer in line with the new guidance. This business unit will follow a similar cost-to-cost percentage of completion method of revenue recognition, consistent with our other business units using percentage of completion.


•	In the coming months, we will undertake a process to quantify the impact of the new accounting guidance on each of the relevant fiscal years and will provide further analysis and discussion as we progress in the evaluation process.