SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries and joint ventures. Significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. All investments over which we exercise significant influence, but do not control (a 20% to 50% ownership interest), are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Additionally, we participate in a joint venture with another company, and we have consolidated this joint venture as we have determined that through our participation we have a variable interest and are the primary beneficiary as defined by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”) Topic 810, “Consolidation”.

For joint ventures that have been accounted for using the consolidation method of accounting, noncontrolling interests represent the allocation of earnings to our joint venture partners who either have a minority-ownership interest in the joint venture or are not at risk for the majority of losses of the joint venture.

The results of operations of companies acquired have been included in the results of operations from the date of the respective acquisition.

Principles of Preparation

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

Our reportable segments reflect certain reclassifications of prior year amounts from our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment to our United States building services segment due to changes in our internal reporting structure.

During the third quarter of 2014, we ceased construction operations in the United Kingdom. The results of the construction operations of our United Kingdom segment for all periods are presented as discontinued operations.

Revenue Recognition

Revenues from long-term construction contracts are recognized on the percentage-of-completion method in accordance with ASC Topic 605-35, “Revenue Recognition-Construction-Type and Production-Type Contracts”. Percentage-of-completion is measured principally by the percentage of costs incurred to date for each contract to the estimated total costs for such contract at completion. Certain of our electrical contracting business units measure percentage-of-completion by the percentage of labor costs incurred to date for each contract to the estimated total labor costs for such contract. Pre-contract costs from our construction projects are generally expensed as incurred. Revenues from the performance of services for maintenance, repair and retrofit work are recognized consistent with the performance of the services, which are generally on a pro-rata basis over the life of the contractual arrangement. Expenses related to all services arrangements are recognized as incurred. Revenues related to the engineering, manufacturing and repairing of shell and tube heat exchangers are recognized when the product is shipped and all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. Costs related to this work are included in inventory until the product is shipped. In the case of customer change orders for uncompleted long-term construction contracts, estimated recoveries are included for work performed in forecasting ultimate profitability on certain contracts. Due to uncertainties inherent in the estimation process, it is possible that completion costs, including those arising from contract penalty provisions and final contract settlements, will be revised in the near-term. Such revisions to costs and income are recognized in the period in which the revisions are determined. Provisions for the entirety of estimated losses on uncompleted contracts are made in the period in which such losses are determined. During 2016, we incurred $19.4 million of losses on a transportation project within the United States electrical construction and facilities services segment as a result of productivity issues attributable to unfavorable job-site conditions. In addition during 2016, within the United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment, we incurred $18.3 million of losses on a project at a process facility as a result of a contract dispute with our customer and $9.6 million of losses on an institutional project due to project delays and unfavorable job-site conditions. There were no significant losses recognized in 2017.

Costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts

Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts arise in the consolidated balance sheets when revenues have been recognized but the amounts cannot be billed under the terms of the contracts. Such amounts are recoverable from customers upon various measures of performance, including achievement of certain milestones, completion of specified units, or completion of a contract. Also included in costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts are amounts we seek or will seek to collect from customers or others for errors or changes in contract specifications or design, contract change orders in dispute or unapproved as to both scope and/or price or other customer-related causes of unanticipated additional contract costs (claims and unapproved change orders). Such amounts are recorded at estimated net realizable value when realization is probable and can be reasonably estimated. No profit is recognized on construction costs incurred in connection with claim amounts. Claims and unapproved change orders made by us involve negotiation and, in certain cases, litigation. In the event litigation costs are incurred by us in connection with claims or unapproved change orders, such litigation costs are expensed as incurred, although we may seek to recover these costs. We believe that we have established legal bases for pursuing recovery of our recorded unapproved change orders and claims, and it is management’s intention to pursue and litigate such claims, if necessary, until a determination or settlement is reached. Unapproved change orders and claims also involve the use of estimates, and it is reasonably possible that revisions to the estimated recoverable amounts of recorded claims and unapproved change orders may be made in the near term. If we do not successfully resolve these matters, a net expense (recorded as a reduction in revenues) may be required, in addition to amounts that may have been previously provided for. We record the profit associated with the settlement of claims upon receipt of final payment. During 2017, we recognized $18.1 million of gross profit associated with the recovery of certain contract costs previously disputed on a project completed in the prior year. There were no other significant settlements or payments of claims in 2017 and 2016. Claims against us are recognized when a loss is considered probable and amounts are reasonably determinable.

Costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts and related amounts billed as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 were as follows (in thousands):



	2017			2016
Costs incurred on uncompleted contracts	$	8,258,802		$	7,223,436
Estimated earnings, thereon	1,081,509			827,799
	9,340,311			8,051,235
Less: billings to date	9,741,846			8,409,780
	$	(401,535	)	$	(358,545	)

Such amounts were included in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2017 and 2016 under the following captions (in thousands):



	2017			2016
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts	$	122,621		$	130,697
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts	(524,156		)	(489,242		)
	$	(401,535	)	$	(358,545	)

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts included unbilled revenues for unapproved change orders of approximately $17.4 million and $21.6 million, respectively, and claims of approximately $0.0 million and $6.0 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, there were no claim amounts included within accounts receivable. There were contractually billed amounts and retention related to contracts with unapproved change orders and claims of $57.6 million and $80.5 million as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. For contracts in claim status, contractually billed amounts will generally not be paid by the customer to us until final resolution of related claims.

Classification of Contract Amounts

In accordance with industry practice, we classify as current all assets and liabilities relating to the performance of long-term contracts. The term of our contracts ranges from one month to four years and, accordingly, collection or payment of amounts relating to these contracts may extend beyond one year. Accounts receivable at December 31, 2017 and 2016 included $243.5 million and $222.6 million, respectively, of retainage billed under terms of our contracts. We estimate that approximately 85% of this retainage will be collected during 2018. Accounts payable at December 31, 2017 and 2016 included $41.0 million and $40.1 million, respectively, of retainage withheld under terms of the contracts. We estimate that approximately 88% of this retainage will be paid during 2018.

Cash and cash equivalents

For purposes of the consolidated financial statements, we consider all highly liquid instruments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. We maintain a centralized cash management system whereby our excess cash balances are invested in high quality, short-term money market instruments, which are considered cash equivalents. We have cash balances in certain of our domestic bank accounts that exceed federally insured limits.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts. This allowance is based upon the best estimate of the probable losses in existing accounts receivable. The Company determines the allowances based upon individual accounts when information indicates the customers may have an inability to meet their financial obligations, as well as historical collection and write-off experience. These amounts are re-evaluated and adjusted on a regular basis as additional information is received. Actual write-offs are charged against the allowance when collection efforts have been unsuccessful. At December 31, 2017 and 2016, our accounts receivable of $1,607.9 million and $1,495.4 million, respectively, included allowances for doubtful accounts of $17.2 million and $12.3 million, respectively. The provision for doubtful accounts during 2017, 2016 and 2015 amounted to approximately $7.3 million, $6.2 million and $2.9 million, respectively.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined principally using the average cost method.

Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost. Depreciation, including amortization of assets under capital leases, is recorded principally using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives of 3 to 10 years for machinery and equipment, 3 to 7 years for vehicles, furniture and fixtures and computer hardware/software, and 25 years for buildings. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the remaining life of the lease term or the expected service life of the improvement.

The carrying values of property, plant and equipment are reviewed for impairment whenever facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be fully recoverable. In performing this review for recoverability, property, plant and equipment is assessed for possible impairment by comparing their carrying values to their undiscounted net pre-tax cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset. Impaired assets are written down to their fair values, generally determined based on their estimated future discounted cash flows. Based on the results of our testing for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, no impairment of property, plant and equipment was recognized.

Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets

Goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets with indefinite lives that are not being amortized, such as trade names, are tested at least annually for impairment (which we test each October 1, absent any impairment indicators) and are written down if impaired. Identifiable intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over their useful lives and are reviewed for impairment whenever facts and circumstances indicate that their carrying values may not be fully recoverable. See Note 8 - Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets of the notes to consolidated financial statements for additional information.

Insurance Liabilities

Our insurance liabilities are determined actuarially based on claims filed and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported. At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the estimated current portion of undiscounted insurance liabilities of $47.3 million and $42.5 million, respectively, were included in “Other accrued expenses and liabilities” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. The estimated non-current portion of the undiscounted insurance liabilities included in “Other long-term obligations” at December 31, 2017 and 2016 were $173.2 million and $167.9 million, respectively. The current portion of anticipated insurance recoveries of $14.9 million and $10.8 million at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, were included in “Prepaid expenses and other” and the non-current portion of anticipated insurance recoveries of $48.6 million and $43.0 million at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, were included in “Other assets” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Foreign Operations

The financial statements and transactions of our foreign subsidiaries are maintained in their functional currency and translated into U.S. dollars in accordance with ASC Topic 830, “Foreign Currency Matters”. Translation adjustments have been recorded as “Accumulated other comprehensive loss”, a separate component of “Equity”.

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes in accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”). ASC 740 requires an asset and liability approach which requires the recognition of deferred income tax assets and deferred income tax liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred income tax assets when it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized.

We account for uncertain tax positions in accordance with the provisions of ASC 740. We recognize accruals of interest related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of the income tax provision.

Valuation of Share-Based Compensation Plans

We have various types of share-based compensation plans and programs, which are administered by our Board of Directors or its Compensation and Personnel Committee. See Note 13 - Share-Based Compensation Plans of the notes to consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding the share-based compensation plans and programs.

We account for share-based payments in accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation” (“ASC 718”). ASC 718 requires that all share-based payments issued to acquire goods or services, including grants of employee stock options, be recognized in the statement of operations based on their fair values. Compensation expense related to share-based awards is recognized over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period. For shares subject to graded vesting, our policy is to apply the straight-line method in recognizing compensation expense. ASC 718 requires the benefits of tax deductions in excess of recognized compensation expense to be recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations when the underlying awards vest or are settled.

New Accounting Pronouncements

On January 1, 2017, we adopted the accounting pronouncement issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) to simplify the presentation of deferred income taxes within the balance sheet. This pronouncement eliminates the requirement that deferred tax assets and liabilities are presented as current or noncurrent based on the nature of the underlying assets and liabilities. Instead, the pronouncement requires that all deferred tax assets and liabilities, including valuation allowances, be classified as noncurrent. We adopted this pronouncement on a retrospective basis. As a result of such adoption, approximately $41.7 million of net deferred tax assets, which were previously presented as “Prepaid expenses and other” in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2016, were reclassified as a reduction to “Other long-term obligations.”

On January 1, 2017, we adopted the accounting pronouncement issued by the FASB to simplify the accounting for goodwill impairment. This guidance eliminates the requirement that an entity calculate the implied fair value of goodwill when measuring an impairment charge. Instead, an entity would record an impairment charge based on the excess of a reporting unit’s carrying amount over its fair value. We adopted this pronouncement on a prospective basis. Our 2017 annual goodwill impairment test resulted in a $57.5 million non-cash impairment charge within our United States industrial services segment. Such impairment was accounted for under the guidance provided by this new accounting pronouncement.

In February 2016, an accounting pronouncement was issued by the FASB to replace existing lease accounting guidance. This pronouncement is intended to provide enhanced transparency and comparability by requiring lessees to record right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities on the balance sheet for most leases. Expenses associated with leases will continue to be recognized in a manner similar to current accounting guidance. This pronouncement is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The adoption is required to be applied on a modified retrospective basis for each prior reporting period presented. Although we have not yet quantified the impact that the adoption of this pronouncement will have on our financial position and/or results of operations, we have begun a process to identify a complete population of our leases. Such process includes reviewing various contracts to identify whether such arrangements convey the right to control the use of an identified asset. We have additionally begun evaluating the impact of the new accounting pronouncement, including enhanced disclosure requirements, on our business processes, controls and systems.

In May 2014, an accounting pronouncement was issued by the FASB to clarify existing guidance on revenue recognition. This guidance includes the required steps to achieve the core principle that a company should recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. This pronouncement is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The guidance permits the use of one of two retrospective transition methods. We will adopt the standard on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method. We have substantially completed the process to evaluate the impact of the new pronouncement on our contracts, including identifying differences that will result from applying the requirements of the new guidance. We have also drafted revised accounting policies and have evaluated the enhanced disclosure requirements on our business processes, controls and systems. As a result of these procedures, we do not anticipate that the adoption will have a material impact on our financial position and/or results of operations. With respect to revenues generated from long-term construction, service maintenance, and time and materials contracts, we do not anticipate any significant changes to the pattern of revenue recognition and do not believe that the guidance surrounding identifying contracts and performance obligations or measuring variable consideration will have a material impact on the revenue recognized for these arrangements. Additionally, with respect to our shop services operations within our United States industrial services segment, which currently recognize revenue related to the engineering, manufacturing and repair of shell and tube heat exchangers when the product is shipped and all other revenue recognition criteria have been met, the adoption of the new standard will accelerate the timing of revenue recognition for certain contracts for which control is transferred to our customers over time instead of at a point in time. However, we do not expect such change within our United States industrial services segment to have a material impact on our consolidated financial position and/or results of operations.