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Restructuring and Impairment Charges

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Restructuring and Impairment Charges

Restructuring and Impairment Charges

NOTE 5 – Restructuring and Impairment Charges

In the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company recorded $57 million of pre-tax restructuring charges. Pre-tax restructuring charges of $28 million were recorded for the year ended December 31, 2019 for the Cost Smart SG&A program. These costs include $15 million, of other costs, including professional services, and $13 million of employee-related severance for the year ended December 31, 2019. These charges were recorded primarily in the Company’s North America and South America operations, and include $2 million of other costs associated with the Finance Transformation initiative in Latin America for the year ended December 31, 2019. The Company expects to continue to incur additional charges in 2020 related to the Cost Smart SG&A program.

Additionally, for the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company recorded $29 million for its Cost Smart Cost of sales program. During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company recorded $15 million of restructuring charges in relation to the closure of the Lane Cove, Australia production facility, consisting of $10 million of accelerated depreciation, $4 million of employee-related severance, and $1 million of other costs. The Company expects to incur additional expense of $10 million to $12 million in 2020 in relation to the closure, excluding potential proceeds from the sale of land and equipment. Additionally, during the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company recorded $3 million of employee-related expenses primarily related to South America operations restructuring. The Company also recorded $11 million of other costs, including professional services, during the year ended December 31, 2019, primarily in North America including other costs of $2 million in relation to the prior year cessation of wet-milling at the Stockton, California

plant. The Company does not expect to incur any additional costs in relation to the cessation of wet-milling at the Stockton, California plant.

In the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company recorded $64 million of pre-tax restructuring charges. During the second quarter of 2018, the Company introduced its Cost Smart program, designed to improve profitability, further streamline its global business and deliver increased value to shareholders through anticipated savings in cost of sales, including freight, and SG&A. For the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company recorded $49 million of restructuring expenses as part of the Cost Smart Cost of sales program in relation to the cessation of wet-milling at the Stockton, California plant, consisting of $34 million of accelerated depreciation, $8 million of mechanical stores, $3 million of employee-related severance and $4 million of other costs.

As part of its Cost Smart SG&A program, during the third quarter of 2018, the Company announced a Finance Transformation initiative in Latin America to strengthen organizational capabilities and drive efficiencies to support the growth strategy of the Company. The Company recorded $4 million of employee-related severance and other costs for the year ended December 31, 2018, in relation to this initiative. In addition, restructuring expenses of $7 million ($6 million employee-related severance and $1 million of consulting costs) were recorded as part of the Cost Smart SG&A program for the year ended December 31, 2018 in the South America, Asia-Pacific, and North America segments.

Additionally, for the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company recorded $3 million of other restructuring costs associated with the North America Finance Transformation initiative as well as $1 million of other restructuring costs related to the leaf extraction process in Brazil.

A summary of the Company’s severance accrual at December 31, 2019, is as follows (in millions):


Balance in severance accrual as of December 31, 2018		$	10
Cost Smart Cost of sales and SG&A			20
Payments made to terminated employees			(16)
Foreign exchange translation			1
Balance in severance accrual as of December 31, 2019		$	15

Of the $15 million severance accrual at December 31, 2019, $14 million is expected to be paid within the next 12 months.

The Company assesses goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually, or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. No goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment was recognized in the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, or 2017 related to the Company’s annual impairment testing.