XML 34 R21.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.25.1

Commitments and Contingencies | 3 Months Ended
--- | ---
Mar. 29, 2025
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. Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (“PFAS”) Litigation In December 2019, Jarrod Johnson filed a putative class action against certain manufacturers, suppliers, and users of chemicals containing certain PFAS 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 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 PFAS from their drinking water, as well as injunctive relief. The defendants removed the class action to federal court. On December 10, 2024, the Court granted the Company’s partial motion for summary judgment finding that Johnson did not have standing to pursue a claim for injunctive relief. The ratepayer claims remain pending. In April 2023, Shelby County, Alabama and Talladega County, Alabama filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of Talladega County, Alabama against certain manufacturers, suppliers, and users of chemicals containing certain PFAS, seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief and claiming that their water supplies contain excessive amounts of PFAS. Since the third quarter of 2024, approximately 10 additional cases have been filed by various counties, municipalities and water authorities in Georgia and South Carolina against the Company and certain manufacturers, suppliers, and users of chemicals containing certain PFAS, claiming PFAS contamination and seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief. The Company continues to vigorously defend against these claims. In December 2024, the City of Dalton, Georgia filed an action in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia asserting state and federal claims, including a claim under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) against certain manufacturers, suppliers, and users of chemicals containing certain PFAS, seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief related to its publicly-owned treatment works. The Company continues to vigorously defend against these claims. In December 2024, a putative class action was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee against the Company, alleging products liability and consumer protection claims on behalf of consumers who allegedly suffered economic harm by purchasing carpet containing excessive amounts of PFAS. The plaintiff has dismissed the case without prejudice. In January 2024, landowners in Calhoun sued the City of Calhoun, Georgia chemical manufacturers, and various carpet companies (including the Company) relating to Calhoun disposing PFAS-containing sludge on the landowners’ property. The City of Calhoun filed cross-claims against the chemical and carpet manufacturers in February 2024, seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief and claiming that its water supplies contain excessive amounts of PFAS. Relatedly, in May 2024, additional landowners near the sludge field filed suit against the Company and the same defendants, and the City of Calhoun filed cross-claims in that suit as well. In January 2025, additional landowners near the sludge field filed a similar suit against the Company and the same defendants. The Company believes it has substantial defenses against the allegations and will continue to vigorously defend against these claims. Silica Litigation The Company is subject to certain personal injury claims related to exposure to silica dust that have been submitted against it or its subsidiaries. Almost all of these outstanding claims have been filed against the Company by a single plaintiff group in California, bringing the total number of cases brought by this plaintiff group and now outstanding to approximately 160. The Company believes it has substantial defenses against the allegations and will continue to vigorously defend against these claims. Securities 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, and April 23, 2021. 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 October 5, 2021, the investor actions were transferred by the State Court of Fulton County to the Metro Atlanta Business Case Division. On October 4, 2023, plaintiffs filed amended complaints in the remaining four investor actions. On April 12, 2024, the Company and the individual defendants filed motions for summary judgment in each investor action. On November 6, 2024, the Court heard arguments on the motions for summary judgment filed by the Company and the individual defendants. The Company believes the claims are without merit and intends to vigorously defend against the claims in these 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 “Gordon County Derivative Actions”), and in the Delaware Court of Chancery on March 10, 2022. The complaints allege that defendants breached their fiduciary duties to the Company by causing the Company to issue materially false and misleading statements. On January 3, 2025, the parties in the NDGA Derivative Actions informed the Court that they would submit the executed settlement agreement to the Court. The settlement agreement encompasses the NDGA Derivative Actions, the Gordon County Derivative Actions, and the action filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery on March 10, 2022. The settlement has received preliminary court approval, and a final hearing is set for June 30, 2025. If the settlement is approved by the Court, the Company’s insurance carrier will fund the entire monetary aspect of the settlement. Belgian Tax Matter The Company is in a dispute with the Belgian Tax Authority (the “BTA”) in relation to certain intercompany loans owed by IVC BV, one of the Company’s subsidiaries in Belgium. The BTA has asserted that these liabilities were not genuine liabilities for Belgian tax purposes. The BTA issued assessments for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 totaling EUR 1.0 billion (including penalties but excluding late payment interests) on IVC BV, whereby it rejected certain interest deductions and the deduction for dividends received from one of its subsidiaries and asserted the inclusion of income related to these loans. These disputed assessments are still in the administrative phase and have been or will be appealed administratively before the BTA by IVC BV. The Company believes that its tax position in Belgium was correct and intends to vigorously defend its position. 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 be significantly above amounts accrued, or that the ultimate outcome of these actions will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition; however, litigation is inherently uncertain and actual losses could result in unfavorable outcomes that 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; however, litigation is inherently uncertain and actual losses could result in unfavorable outcomes that could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations, cash flows or liquidity in a given quarter or year.

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for commitments and contingencies. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Topic 405 -SubTopic 30 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/405-30/tableOfContent Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 440 -SubTopic 10 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482648/440-10-50-4 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Topic 450 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/450/tableOfContent Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 954 -SubTopic 440 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147478522/954-440-50-1 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 440 -SubTopic 10 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (c) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482648/440-10-50-4 Reference 6: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Topic 440 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/440/tableOfContent + Details
Name: | us-gaap_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration