(6) Special Charges, Net

As part of our business strategy, we periodically right-size and consolidate operations to improve long-term results. Additionally, from time to time, we alter our business model to better serve customer demand, discontinue lower-margin product lines and rationalize and consolidate manufacturing capacity. Our restructuring and integration decisions are based, in part, on discounted cash flows and are designed to achieve our goals of reducing structural footprint and maximizing profitability. As a result of our strategic review process, we recorded net special charges of $23.1 in 2014, $32.3 in 2013 and $23.4 in 2012. These net special charges were primarily related to restructuring initiatives to consolidate manufacturing and sales facilities, reduce workforce, and rationalize certain product lines, as well as asset impairment charges.

The components of the charges have been computed based on actual cash payouts, including severance and other employee benefits based on existing severance policies, local laws, and other estimated exit costs, and our estimate of the realizable value of the affected tangible and intangible assets.

Impairments of long-lived assets, including amortizable intangibles, which represent non-cash asset write-downs, typically arise from business restructuring decisions that lead to the disposition of assets no longer required in the restructured business. For these situations, we recognize a loss when the carrying amount of an asset exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset. Fair values for assets subject to impairment testing are determined primarily by management, taking into consideration various factors including third-party appraisals, quoted market prices and previous experience. If an asset remains in service at the decision date, the asset is written down to its fair value and the resulting net book value is depreciated over its remaining economic useful life. When we commit to a plan to sell an asset, including the initiation of a plan to locate a buyer, and it is probable that the asset will be sold within one year based on its current condition and sales price, depreciation of the asset is discontinued and the asset is classified as an asset held for sale. The asset is written down to its fair value less any selling costs.

Liabilities for exit costs, including, among other things, severance, other employee benefit costs, and operating lease obligations on idle facilities, are measured initially at their fair value and recorded when incurred.

With the exception of certain multi-year operating lease obligations and other contractual obligations, which are not material to our consolidated financial statements, we anticipate that the liabilities related to restructuring actions will be paid within one year from the period in which the action was initiated.

Special charges for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are described in more detail below and in the applicable sections that follow:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Employee termination costs	$	19.8	$	29.2	$	22.6
Facility consolidation costs		0.9		1.0		2.4
Other cash costs (recoveries), net		0.9		0.1		(4.4	)
Non-cash asset write-downs		1.5		2.0		2.8

Total	$	23.1	$	32.3	$	23.4

2014 Charges:

	Employee Termination Costs		Facility Consolidation Costs		Other Cash Costs, Net		Non-Cash Asset Write-downs		Total Special Charges
Flow Technology reportable segment	$	11.2	$	0.6	$	0.5	$	1.5	$	13.8
Thermal Equipment and Services reportable segment		5.7		0.3		0.4		—		6.4
Industrial Products and Services and Other		2.3		—		—		—		2.3
Corporate		0.6		—		—		—		0.6

Total	$	19.8	$	0.9	$	0.9	$	1.5	$	23.1

Flow Technology reportable segment — Charges for 2014 related primarily to severance and other costs associated with restructuring initiatives at various locations in Europe and the U.S. These actions were taken primarily to (i) reduce the cost base of Clyde Union, as we continue to integrate the business into our Flow Technology reportable segment, and (ii) reorganize the food and beverage commercial organization and Johnson Pump management structure in Europe. Once completed, restructuring activities are expected to result in the termination of approximately 100 employees. Charges for 2014 also included asset impairment charges of $1.5 related to tangible long-lived assets in the power and energy, and food and beverage, businesses.

Thermal Equipment and Services reportable segment — Charges for 2014 related primarily to severance and other costs associated with (i) restructuring actions at our Balcke Duerr and dry cooling businesses primarily in Germany in order to reduce the cost base of the businesses in response to reduced demand for nuclear power products and services in Europe, (ii) the restructuring of a regional sales organization within the boiler products business, and (iii) the closure of a facility in China. Once completed, restructuring activities are expected to result in the termination of approximately 80 employees.

Industrial Products and Services and Other — Charges for 2014 related primarily to costs associated with restructuring initiatives at various locations in the U.S. These actions resulted in the termination of 37 employees.

Corporate — Charges for 2014 related primarily to costs associated with our efforts to better align our corporate overhead structure with the new operational alignment we implemented in the second half of 2013.

Expected charges still to be incurred under actions approved as of December 31, 2014 are approximately $2.0.

2013 Charges:

	Employee Termination Costs		Facility Consolidation Costs		Other Cash Costs (Recoveries), Net			Non-Cash Asset Write-downs		Total Special Charges
Flow Technology reportable segment	$	11.8	$	1.0	$	(0.3	)	$	1.7	$	14.2
Thermal Equipment and Services reportable segment		16.3		—		—			—		16.3
Industrial Products and Services and Other		1.0		—		0.2			—		1.2
Corporate		0.1		—		0.2			0.3		0.6

Total	$	29.2	$	1.0	$	0.1		$	2.0	$	32.3

Flow Technology reportable segment — Charges for 2013 related primarily to severance costs associated with (i) restructuring initiatives at Clyde Union locations primarily in the U.K. and the U.S. and (ii) the operational realignment of the segment's reporting structure. These actions were taken primarily to reduce the cost base of Clyde Union, as we continued to integrate the business into our Flow Technology reportable segment, and to further align the segment's operational structure to its key end markets. These activities resulted in the termination of 500 employees. Charges for 2013 also included asset impairment charges of $1.7 related primarily to facilities that were exited in the U.S., Denmark and the U.K.

Thermal Equipment and Services reportable segment — Charges for 2013 related primarily to severance and other costs associated with restructuring actions at our Balcke Duerr and dry cooling businesses in Germany. These actions were taken to reduce the cost base of the businesses in response to reduced demand for nuclear power products and services in Europe. These activities resulted in the termination of 290 employees.

Industrial Products and Services and Other — Charges for 2013 related primarily to costs associated with restructuring initiatives at various locations in the U.S. These actions resulted in the termination of 40 employees.

Corporate — Charges for 2013 related primarily to costs associated with the early termination of two building leases and an asset impairment charge of $0.3.

2012 Charges:

	Employee Termination Costs		Facility Consolidation Costs		Other Cash Costs (Recoveries), Net			Non-Cash Asset Write-downs		Total Special Charges
Flow Technology reportable segment	$	16.2	$	1.8	$	—		$	0.9	$	18.9
Thermal Equipment and Services reportable segment		5.7		0.2		0.1			1.6		7.6
Industrial Products and Services and Other		—		0.3		—			—		0.3
Corporate		0.7		0.1		(4.5	)		0.3		(3.4	)

Total	$	22.6	$	2.4	$	(4.4	)	$	2.8	$	23.4

Flow Technology reportable segment — Charges for 2012 related primarily to cost reduction initiatives for the segment's components business in Europe and at locations in Canada and Denmark, as well as costs associated with the relocation of the segment's America's Shared Service Center from Des Plaines, IL to Charlotte, NC, the integration of Clyde Union, and the reorganization of the segment's food and beverage systems business, including asset impairment charges of $0.9. These activities resulted in the termination of 271 employees.

Thermal Equipment and Services reportable segment — Charges for 2012 related primarily to costs associated with restructuring initiatives at various locations in China and Europe, including asset impairment charges totaling $1.6, and severance costs associated with transferring certain functions of our boiler and heating products business to a location in Chicago, IL. These activities resulted in the termination of 195 employees.

Industrial Products and Services and Other — Charges for 2012 related primarily to costs associated with the closure of a location within our portable cable and pipe locator business.

Corporate — Charges for 2012 included a gain of $4.8 on the sale of land rights in Shanghai, China, for which the related costs previously had been written-off. This gain was offset partially by costs associated with consolidating certain corporate functions and our legal entity reduction initiative.

The following is an analysis of our restructuring liabilities for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012:

	December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Balance at beginning of year	$	19.0		$	16.4		$	11.0
Special charges(1)		21.6			34.7			25.5
Utilization — cash(2)		(26.2	)		(32.4	)		(20.1	)
Currency translation adjustment and other		(0.1	)		0.3			—

Balance at the end of year	$	14.3		$	19.0		$	16.4

(1)

The years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 included $0.0, $4.4 and $0.7, respectively, of charges that related to discontinued operations for which we have retained the related liabilities, and excluded $1.5, $2.0 and $3.4, respectively, of non-cash charges that impacted special charges but not the restructuring liabilities, as well as a gain of $4.8 on the sale of land rights in Shanghai, China during the year ended December 31, 2012.

(2)

The years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 included $0.7, $3.6 and $1.0 of cash utilized to settle retained liabilities of discontinued operations.