SPECIAL CHARGES, NET

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

8. SPECIAL CHARGES, NET

The Company's Technology Products segment incurred special charges of approximately $24.3 million in 2014. These charges, estimates of which were previously disclosed, included approximately $11.7 million in estimated workforce reductions related to the restructuring of our European operations, $0.5 million in continued recruitment costs to staff the European shared services center, $0.1 million for changes in the estimate of lease valuation accruals and the buyout of the two retail store leases that were exited in 2013 prior to lease expiration (Other Exit Costs), $0.3 million in other costs related to the retail stores that were closed in 2013, $0.2 million in charges related to the final sale of the facility which had been used in connection with our previously exited PC manufacturing business and $1.5 million of additional legal and professional fees related to the previously disclosed investigation and settlement with former officers and employees. In the fourth quarter of 2014, after conducting an evaluation of the long-lived and intangible assets in its operations in the United States and Canada, an impairment charge of approximately $10.0 million, pre-tax, was recorded.

The balance of the workforce reduction costs and retail store closing liabilities are included in the Consolidated Balance Sheet within accrued expenses and other current liabilities and other non-current liabilities.

The following table details the associated liabilities incurred related to the Technology Products segments special charges (in millions):

	Workforce Reductions and Personnel Costs			Other Exit Costs			Total
Balance January 1, 2014	$	7.0		$	5.1		$	12.1
Charged to expense		11.7			0.1			11.8
Paid or otherwise settled		(14.0	)		(5.2	)		(19.2	)
Balance December 31, 2014	$	4.7		$	-		$	4.7

Corporate and other segment incurred $0.1 million of special charges related to severance costs in the year.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for restructuring and related activities. Description of restructuring activities such as exit and disposal activities, include facts and circumstances leading to the plan, the expected plan completion date, the major types of costs associated with the plan activities, total expected costs, the accrual balance at the end of the period, and the periods over which the remaining accrual will be settled.

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