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Commitments and Contingencies
 6 Months Ended
Jul. 01, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
From time to time in the regular course of its business, the Company is involved in various lawsuits, claims, investigations and other legal matters. Except as noted below, there are no material legal proceedings pending or known by the Company to be contemplated to which the Company is a party or to which any of its property is subject.

Perfluorinated Compounds (“PFCs”) Litigation

In September 2016, the Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Gadsden, Alabama (the “Gadsden Water Board”) filed an individual complaint in the Circuit Court of Etowah County, Alabama against certain manufacturers, suppliers, and users of chemicals containing specific PFCs, including the Company. In May 2017, the Water Works and Sewer Board of the Town of Centre, Alabama (the “Centre Water Board”) filed a similar complaint in the Circuit Court of Cherokee County, Alabama. The Gadsden Water Board and the Centre Water Board both sought monetary damages and injunctive relief claiming that their water supplies contain excessive amounts of PFCs. On October 14, 2022, the Gadsden Water Board settled its claims against Mohawk Industries, Inc. and Mohawk Carpet, LLC. On March 21, 2023, the Centre Water Board settled its claims against Mohawk Industries, Inc., Mohawk Carpet, LLC, and Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation.

In April 2023, Shelby County, Alabama and Talladega County, Alabama filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of Talladega County, Alabama against Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation, Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation of Alabama, LLC, Mohawk Carpet, LLC, and Mohawk Industries, Inc., among other defendants, that contains allegations substantially similar to those that were made by the Gadsden Water Board and Centre Water Board. The defendants removed this case to federal court on May 12, 2023, and the case remains pending.

In December 2019, the City of Rome, Georgia (“Rome”) filed a complaint in the Superior Court of Floyd County, Georgia that is similar to the Gadsden Water Board and Centre Water Board complaints, again seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief related to PFCs. On May 31, 2023, Rome settled its claims against Mohawk Industries, Inc., Mohawk Carpet, LLC, and Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation.

Also in December 2019, Jarrod Johnson filed a putative class action in the Superior Court of Floyd County, Georgia purporting to represent all water subscribers with the Rome (Georgia) Water and Sewer Division and/or the Floyd County (Georgia) Water Department and seeking to recover, among other things, damages in the form of alleged increased rates and surcharges incurred by ratepayers for the costs associated with eliminating certain PFCs from their drinking water. In January 2020, defendant 3M Company removed the class action to federal court. The Company filed motions to dismiss in both of these cases. On December 17, 2020, the Superior Court of Floyd County denied the Company’s motion to dismiss in the Rome case. On September 20, 2021, the Northern District of Georgia denied the Company’s motion to dismiss in the class action.

The Company denies all liability in these matters and intends to defend all pending matters vigorously.
Putative Securities Class Action

On January 3, 2020, the Company and certain of its executive officers were named as defendants in a putative shareholder class action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (the “Securities Class Action”). The complaint alleged that defendants violated the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by making materially false and misleading statements and that the officers are control persons under Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The complaint was filed on behalf of shareholders who purchased shares of the Company’s common stock between April 28, 2017 and July 25, 2019 (“Class Period”). On June 29, 2020, an amended complaint was filed in the Securities Class Action against Mohawk and its CEO Jeff Lorberbaum, based on the same claims and the same Class Period. The amended complaint alleges that the Company (1) engaged in fabricating revenues by attempting delivery to customers that were closed and recognizing these attempts as sales; (2) overproduced product to report higher operating margins and maintained significant inventory that was not salable; and (3) valued certain inventory improperly or improperly delivered inventory with knowledge that it was defective and customers would return it. On October 27, 2020, defendants filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. On September 29, 2021, the court issued an order granting in part and denying the defendants’ motion to dismiss the amended complaint. Defendants filed an answer to the amended complaint on November 12, 2021, and fact discovery commenced. On January 26, 2022, Lead Plaintiff moved for class certification, to appoint itself as class representative, and for appointment of class counsel. The court granted plaintiff’s motion for class certification on November 28, 2022. On December 13, 2022, the parties reached an agreement in principle to settle the Securities Class Action for $60,000, of which a significant portion is covered by insurance, in exchange for the dismissal and a release of all claims against the defendants (the “Agreement”). The Agreement, which is subject to court approval, is without admission of fault or wrongdoing by defendants. On February 6, 2023, the court issued an order granting Lead Plaintiff’s motion to preliminarily approve the settlement and setting May 31, 2023 as the date of the final settlement hearing. Following the final settlement hearing, the court entered final approval of the settlement and closed the case on June 1, 2023. The Company continues to believe the allegations in the Securities Class Action are without merit.

Government Subpoenas

As previously disclosed, on June 25, 2020, the Company received subpoenas issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia (the “USAO”) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) relating to matters similar to the allegations of wrongdoing raised by the Securities Class Action. The Company’s Audit Committee, with the assistance of outside legal counsel, conducted a thorough internal investigation into these allegations. In October 2020, the Audit Committee completed the investigation and concluded that the allegations of wrongdoing are without merit. The Company has cooperated fully with the USAO and SEC. The Company continues to believe the allegations are without merit.

Delaware State Court Action

The Company and certain of its present and former executive officers were named as defendants in a putative state securities class action lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware on January 30, 2020. The complaint alleged that defendants violated Sections 11 and 12 of the Securities Act of 1933. The complaint was filed on behalf of shareholders who purchased shares of the Company’s common stock in Mohawk Industries Retirement Plan 1 and Mohawk Industries Retirement Plan 2 between April 27, 2017 and July 25, 2019. On March 27, 2020, the court granted a temporary stay of the litigation. The stay may be lifted according to the terms set forth in the court’s order to stay litigation. The parties reached an agreement in principle to settle the lawsuit in exchange for the dismissal and a release of all claims against the defendants (the “Settlement Agreement”). The Settlement Agreement, which is subject to court approval, is without admission of fault or wrongdoing by defendants. The Company believes the allegations in the lawsuit are without merit.

Georgia State Court Investor Actions

The Company and certain of its present and former executive officers were named as defendants in certain investor actions, filed in the State Court of Fulton County of the State of Georgia on April 22, 2021, April 23, 2021, and May 11, 2022. Five complaints brought on behalf of purported former Mohawk stockholders each allege that defendants defrauded the respective plaintiffs through false or misleading statements and thereby induced plaintiffs to purchase Company stock at artificially inflated prices. The allegations are similar to those of the Securities Class Action. The claims alleged include fraud, negligent misrepresentation, violations of the Georgia Securities Act, and violations of the Georgia Racketeering and Corrupt Organizations statute. Plaintiffs in the investor actions seek compensatory and punitive damages. On June 28, 2021, defendants filed motions to dismiss each of the four complaints filed in April 2021 and answers to the same. On October 5, 2021, all four investor actions filed in April 2021 were transferred by the State Court of Fulton County to the Metro Atlanta Business Case Division, where fact discovery is ongoing. On January 28, 2022, the Court granted in part and denied in part the motions to dismiss the four actions filed in April 2021, dismissing the Georgia Securities Act claims as to all defendants, and the negligent misrepresentation claim as to the Company.
On May 19, 2022, the parties in the last-filed action filed a joint motion to transfer the investor action initiated on May 11, 2022 to the Metro Atlanta Business Case Division where the other four actions were and are pending. On August 2, 2022, this motion was granted and the last-filed investor action initiated on May 11, 2022 was transferred to the Metro Atlanta Business Case Division. On September 1, 2022, defendants in the last-filed investor action filed motions to dismiss the complaint filed on May 2022 and answers to the same. On November 16, 2022, plaintiffs in the last-filed investor action voluntarily dismissed the suit. The Company intends to vigorously defend against the claims in these actions.

Federal Investor Actions

The Company and certain of its present and former executive officers were named as defendants in three additional non-class action lawsuits filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on June 22, 2021, March 25, 2022, and April 26, 2022 (collectively, “Federal Investor Actions”), respectively. Each complaint is brought on behalf of one or more purported former Mohawk stockholders and alleges that defendants defrauded the plaintiffs through false or misleading statements and thereby induced plaintiffs to purchase Company stock at artificially inflated prices. The allegations are similar to those of the Securities Class Action. The federal law claims alleged include violations of Sections 10(b) and 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by making materially false and misleading statements and that the officers are control persons under Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The state law claims alleged include fraud, negligent misrepresentation, violations of the Georgia Securities Act, and violations of the Georgia Racketeering and Corrupt Organizations statute. Plaintiffs in the lawsuits seek compensatory and punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.

On December 13, 2021, defendants filed motions to dismiss the June 22, 2021 complaint. On July 6, 2022, defendants filed motions to dismiss the March 25, 2022 complaint. On July 27, 2022, defendants filed motions to dismiss the April 26, 2022 complaint. On August 9, 2022, defendants filed a motion to consolidate all three Federal Investor Actions for pre-trial purposes. On March 31, 2023, the court issued orders in each of the Federal Investor Actions granting in part and denying in part defendants’ motions to dismiss the three Federal Investor Actions, and granting defendants’ motion to consolidate the three Federal Investor Actions for pre-trial purposes. Defendants filed answers to each of the three complaints on April 14, 2023, and fact discovery is ongoing. The Company intends to vigorously defend against the claims asserted in the Federal Investor Actions.

Derivative Actions

The Company and certain of its executive officers and directors were named as defendants in certain derivative actions filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on May 18, 2020 and August 6, 2020, respectively (the “NDGA Derivative Actions”), in the Superior Court of Gordon County of the State of Georgia on March 3, 2021 and July 12, 2021 (the “Georgia Derivative Actions”), and in the Delaware Court of Chancery on March 10, 2022 (the “Delaware Derivative Action”). The complaints allege that defendants breached their fiduciary duties to the Company by causing the Company to issue materially false and misleading statements. The complaints are filed on behalf of the Company and seek to remedy fiduciary duty breaches occurring from April 28, 2017 to July 25, 2019. On July 20, 2020, the court in the NDGA Derivative Actions granted a temporary stay of the litigation. On October 21, 2020, the court entered an order consolidating the NDGA Derivative Actions and appointing Lead Counsel. Other shareholders of record jointly moved to intervene in the derivative actions to stay the proceedings. On September 28, 2021, the court in the NDGA Derivative Actions issued an order granting the request to intervene. On April 8, 2021, the court in the first-filed of the Georgia Derivative Actions granted a temporary stay of the litigation. On January 18, 2022, the Court in the NDGA Derivative Actions lifted the temporary stay of the litigation. On January 20, 2022, the court in the second-filed of the Georgia Derivative Actions entered an order on scheduling requiring defendants to file and serve their response to the complaint on February 21, 2022. On February 28, 2022, the court granted a stay of the Georgia Derivative Actions until the entry of a final judgment in the NDGA Derivative Actions and stipulating that the prevailing party in the NDGA Derivative Actions would be the prevailing party in the Georgia Derivative Actions. On April 6, 2022, the court granted a stay of the Delaware Derivative Action until the entry of a final judgment in the NDGA Derivative Actions and stipulating that the prevailing party in the NDGA Derivative Actions would be the prevailing party in the Delaware Derivative Action. On March 22, 2023, the temporary stay of the NDGA Derivative Actions expired, and fact discovery is ongoing. The Company intends to vigorously defend against the claims.
General

The Company believes that adequate provisions for resolution of all contingencies, claims and pending litigation have been made for probable losses that are reasonably estimable. These contingencies are subject to significant uncertainties and the Company is unable to estimate the amount or range of loss, if any, in excess of amounts accrued. The Company does not believe that the ultimate outcome of these actions will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition but could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations, cash flows or liquidity in a given quarter or year.
The Company is subject to various federal, state, local and foreign environmental health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing air emissions, wastewater discharges, the use, storage, treatment, recycling and disposal of solid and hazardous materials and finished product, and the cleanup of contamination associated therewith. Because of the nature of the Company’s business, the Company has incurred, and will continue to incur, costs relating to compliance with such laws and regulations. The Company is involved in various proceedings relating to environmental matters and is currently engaged in environmental investigation, remediation and post-closure care programs at certain sites. The Company has provided accruals for such activities that it has determined to be both probable and reasonably estimable. The Company does not expect that the ultimate liability with respect to such activities will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition but acknowledges that it could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations, cash flows or liquidity in a given quarter or year.