Plant Closure	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Plant Closure
Plant Closure	10. Plant Closure In September 2012, the Company decided to discontinue manufacturing heavy-duty mechanical anchors made in its facility in Ireland, which were sold mainly in Europe, to focus on selling light-duty and medium-duty anchors and fastener products in conjunction with its connector products. In December 2012, the Company ceased producing and selling heavy-duty mechanical anchors and terminated employees in Europe, primarily in Ireland and Germany, who were manufacturing, selling or supporting the product line. By the end of the third quarter of 2013, the Company expects to close remaining activities associated with the terminated product line, including transferring remaining inventories and certain fixed assets to its other operating locations and preparing the site for lease. All costs associated with the closure are reported in the European segment. At December 31, 2012, the long-lived assets of the Ireland facility had a net book value of $2.8 million, including land and building with a net book value of $2.7 million. Due to an adverse real estate market, the Company has decided to pursue leasing the facility until the market value of the facility recovers sufficiently. In the quarter ended March 31, 2013, the Company concluded that the carrying value of its Ireland facility, associated with the Europe segment, exceeded its fair value, and therefore recorded an impairment charge, within general and administrative expense, of $1.0 million, equal to the amount by which carrying value exceeds net estimated realizable value. Remaining equipment with a net book value of $0.1 million will be sold to outside parties, transferred to other branches within the Company or scrapped. See note 4. In 2012, the Company recorded employee severance obligations of $3.0 million, of which $2.4 million was paid in 2012, and $0.6 million was accrued at December 31, 2012. In the first quarter of 2013, severance payments of $77 thousand were made and severance charges of $36 thousand were reversed due to the decision to retain an employee. No additional severance obligations were recorded in 2013. The remaining balance of $0.5 million to be paid in 2013 represents the statutory and discretionary amounts due to employees that were or will be involuntarily terminated. The Company does not expect to record additional severance expense in 2013. Closure liabilities are recognized when a transaction or event has occurred that leaves little or no discretion to avoid future settlement of the liability. The Company estimates that closure costs will total $0.7 million, all of which will be allocated to operating expenses. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had recorded $0.3 million in plant closure expenses, of which $0.2 million was paid in 2012 and $0.1 million is to be paid in 2013. In the first quarter of 2013, the Company had recorded $23 thousand in plant closure costs and paid $55 thousand in accrued plant closure costs, with $0.1 million to be paid during the remainder of 2013. The Company estimates additional closure costs of $0.4 million will be incurred and paid in 2013.

10. Plant Closure

In September 2012, the Company decided to discontinue manufacturing heavy-duty mechanical anchors made in its facility in Ireland, which were sold mainly in Europe, to focus on selling light-duty and medium-duty anchors and fastener products in conjunction with its connector products. In December 2012, the Company ceased producing and selling heavy-duty mechanical anchors and terminated employees in Europe, primarily in Ireland and Germany, who were manufacturing, selling or supporting the product line. By the end of the third quarter of 2013, the Company expects to close remaining activities associated with the terminated product line, including transferring remaining inventories and certain fixed assets to its other operating locations and preparing the site for lease. All costs associated with the closure are reported in the European segment.

At December 31, 2012, the long-lived assets of the Ireland facility had a net book value of $2.8 million, including land and building with a net book value of $2.7 million. Due to an adverse real estate market, the Company has decided to pursue leasing the facility until the market value of the facility recovers sufficiently. In the quarter ended March 31, 2013, the Company concluded that the carrying value of its Ireland facility, associated with the Europe segment, exceeded its fair value, and therefore recorded an impairment charge, within general and administrative expense, of $1.0 million, equal to the amount by which carrying value exceeds net estimated realizable value. Remaining equipment with a net book value of $0.1 million will be sold to outside parties, transferred to other branches within the Company or scrapped. See note 4.

In 2012, the Company recorded employee severance obligations of $3.0 million, of which $2.4 million was paid in 2012, and $0.6 million was accrued at December 31, 2012. In the first quarter of 2013, severance payments of $77 thousand were made and severance charges of $36 thousand were reversed due to the decision to retain an employee. No additional severance obligations were recorded in 2013. The remaining balance of $0.5 million to be paid in 2013 represents the statutory and discretionary amounts due to employees that were or will be involuntarily terminated. The Company does not expect to record additional severance expense in 2013.

Closure liabilities are recognized when a transaction or event has occurred that leaves little or no discretion to avoid future settlement of the liability. The Company estimates that closure costs will total $0.7 million, all of which will be allocated to operating expenses. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had recorded $0.3 million in plant closure expenses, of which $0.2 million was paid in 2012 and $0.1 million is to be paid in 2013. In the first quarter of 2013, the Company had recorded $23 thousand in plant closure costs and paid $55 thousand in accrued plant closure costs, with $0.1 million to be paid during the remainder of 2013. The Company estimates additional closure costs of $0.4 million will be incurred and paid in 2013.