Note 20 - Severance, Professional Fees, Office Closures and Other Charges

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2018

Notes to Financial Statements

Severance, Professional Fees and Other Charges Disclosure [Text Block]

20.

     

SEVERANCE, PROFESSIONAL FEES

, OFFICE CLOSURES

AND OTHER CHARGES

The Company experienced

$1.6

million in severance, professional fees and other charges during the

fifty-two

week period ended

December 29, 2018

as compared to

$1.4

million in the prior year.  For fiscal year

2018,

these charges include severance accrued for the Company’s former chief executive officer and related payroll taxes; continuation of certain benefits; and professional fees, totaling approximately

$0.9

million.  The additional charges of

$0.7

million incurred related to transactional financial advisory fees; legal fees associated with defending an ongoing frivolous lawsuit with a competitor of the Company; professional fees associated with the acquisition of Thermal Kinetics and search fees associated with hiring a senior executive.  Fiscal year

2017

charges included costs relating to closure of the Purchase, NY engineering office and the Edina, MN Information Technology office, totaling approximately

$0.8

million. The additional charges of

$0.6

million included severance to a senior executive; legal fees associated with the acquisition of PSR Engineering; and other discrete legal related and miscellaneous charges.