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Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities | 12 Months Ended
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Oct. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] |
Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities | CONSOLIDATION OF VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES The Company evaluates whether an entity is a variable interest entity (“VIE”) whenever reconsideration events occur and performs reassessments of all VIE’s quarterly to determine if the primary beneficiary status is appropriate. The Company consolidates VIE’s for which it is the primary beneficiary. If the Company is not the primary beneficiary and an ownership interest is held, the VIE is accounted for under the equity or cost methods of accounting, as appropriate. When assessing the determination of the primary beneficiary, the Company considers all relevant facts and circumstances, including: the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance; and the obligation to absorb the expected losses and/or the right to receive the expected returns of the VIE. Significant Nonstrategic Timberland Transactions On March 28, 2005, Soterra LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary) entered into two real estate purchase and sale agreements with Plum Creek Timberlands, L.P. (“Plum Creek”) to sell approximately 56,000 acres of timberland and related assets located primarily in Florida for an aggregate sales price of approximately $90 million, subject to closing adjustments. In connection with the closing of one of these agreements, Soterra LLC sold approximately 35,000 acres of timberland and associated assets in Florida, Georgia and Alabama for $51.0 million, resulting in a pretax gain of $42.1 million, on May 23, 2005. The purchase price was paid in the form of cash and a $50.9 million purchase note payable (the “Purchase Note”) by an indirect subsidiary of Plum Creek (the “Buyer SPE”). Soterra LLC contributed the Purchase Note to STA Timber LLC (“STA Timber”), one of the Company’s indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. The Purchase Note is secured by a Deed of Guarantee issued by Bank of America, N.A., London Branch, in an amount not to exceed $52.3 million (the “Deed of Guarantee”), as a guarantee of the due and punctual payment of principal and interest on the Purchase Note. The Company completed the second and final phase of these transactions in the first and second quarters of 2006, respectively, with the sale of 15,300 acres and another approximately 5,700 acres. On May 31, 2005, STA Timber issued in a private placement its 5.20% Senior Secured Notes due August 5, 2020 (the “Monetization Notes”) in the principal amount of $43.3 million. In connection with the sale of the Monetization Notes, STA Timber entered into note purchase agreements with the purchasers of the Monetization Notes (the “Note Purchase Agreements”) and related documentation. The Monetization Notes are secured by a pledge of the Purchase Note and the Deed of Guarantee. The Monetization Notes may be accelerated in the event of a default in payment or a breach of the other obligations set forth therein or in the Note Purchase Agreements or related documents, subject in certain cases to any applicable cure periods, or upon the occurrence of certain insolvency or bankruptcy related events. The Monetization Notes are subject to a mechanism that may cause them, subject to certain conditions, to be extended to November 5, 2020. The proceeds from the sale of the Monetization Notes were primarily used for the repayment of indebtedness. Greif, Inc. and its other subsidiaries have not extended any form of guaranty of the principal or interest on the Monetization Notes. Accordingly, Greif, Inc. and its other subsidiaries will not become directly or contingently liable for the payment of the Monetization Notes at any time. The Buyer SPE is deemed to be a VIE since the assets of the Buyer SPE are not available to satisfy the liabilities of the Buyer SPE. The Buyer SPE is a separate and distinct legal entity from the Company and no ownership interest in the Buyer SPE is held by the Company, but the Company is the primary beneficiary because it has (1) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, and (2) the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. As a result, Buyer SPE has been consolidated into the operations of the Company. As of October 31, 2017 and 2016, assets of the Buyer SPE consisted of $50.9 million of restricted bank financial instruments which are expected to be held to maturity. For each of the years ended October 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the Buyer SPE recorded interest income of $2.4 million. As of October 31, 2017 and 2016, STA Timber had long-term debt of $43.3 million. For each of the years ended October 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, STA Timber recorded interest expense of $2.2 million. STA Timber is exposed to credit-related losses in the event of nonperformance by the issuer of the Deed of Guarantee. Flexible Packaging Joint Venture On September 29, 2010, Greif, Inc. and one of its indirect subsidiaries formed a joint venture (referred to herein as the “Flexible Packaging JV” or "FPS VIE") with Dabbagh Group Holding Company Limited and one of its subsidiaries, originally National Scientific Company Limited and now Gulf Refined Packaging for Industrial Packaging Company LTD ("GRP"). The Flexible Packaging JV owns the operations in the Flexible Products & Services segment. The Flexible Packaging JV has been consolidated into the operations of the Company as of its formation date of September 29, 2010. The Flexible Packaging JV is deemed to be a VIE since the total equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the legal entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support. The major factors that led to the conclusion that the Company was the primary beneficiary of this VIE was that (1) the Company has the power to direct the most significant activities due to its ability to direct the operating decisions of the FPS VIE, which power is derived from the significant CEO discretion over the operations of the FPS VIE combined with the Company's sole and exclusive right to appoint the CEO of the FPS VIE, and (2) the significant variable interest through the Company's equity interest in the FPS VIE. The economic and business purpose underlying the Flexible Packaging JV is to establish a global industrial flexible products enterprise through a series of targeted acquisitions and major investments in plant, machinery and equipment. All entities contributed to the Flexible Packaging JV were existing businesses acquired by an indirect subsidiary of the Company and that were reorganized under Greif Flexibles Asset Holding B.V. and Greif Flexibles Trading Holding B.V. (“Asset Co.” and “Trading Co.”), respectively. The Flexibles Packaging J.V. also includes Global Textile Company LLC (“Global Textile”), which owned and operated a fabric hub in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that commenced operations in the fourth quarter of 2012 and ceased operations in the fourth quarter of 2014. The Company has 51 percent ownership in Trading Co. and 49 percent ownership in Asset Co. and Global Textile. However, the Company and GRP have equal economic interests in the Flexible Packaging JV, notwithstanding the actual ownership interests in the various legal entities. All investments, loans and capital contributions are to be shared equally by the Company and GRP and each partner has committed to contribute capital of up to $150.0 million and obtain third party financing for up to $150.0 million as required. The following table presents the Flexible Packaging JV total net assets:
(in millions) | October 31, 2017 |  | October 31, 2016
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 14.4 |  |  | $ | 15.2 |
Trade accounts receivable, less allowance of $2.1 in 2017 and $2.8 in 2016 | 52.5 |  |  | 43.3 |
Inventories | 53.3 |  |  | 50.9 |
Properties, plants and equipment, net | 31.2 |  |  | 25.0 |
Other assets | 25.8 |  |  | 37.3 |
Total assets | $ | 177.2 |  |  | $ | 171.7 |
Accounts payable | $ | 33.8 |  |  | $ | 30.7 |
Other liabilities | 30.2 |  |  | 43.7 |
Total liabilities | $ | 64.0 |  |  | $ | 74.4 |
Net (income) loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest in the Flexible Packaging JV for the years ended October 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 were $(6.3) million, $8.2 million and $14.2 million, respectively. Non-United States Accounts Receivable VIE As further described in Note 3, Cooperage Receivables Finance B.V. is a party to the European RPA. Cooperage Receivables Finance B.V. is deemed to be a VIE since this entity is not able to satisfy its liabilities without the financial support from the Company. While this entity is a separate and distinct legal entity from the Company and no ownership interest in this entity is held by the Company, the Company is the primary beneficiary because it has (1) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, and (2) the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. As a result, Cooperage Receivables Finance B.V. has been consolidated into the operations of the Company. EarthMinded Benelux NV VIE On August 31, 2016, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Greif, Inc. sold 51 percent of its shares in its then wholly owned subsidiary, EarthMinded Benelux NV for $0.3 million. EarthMinded Benelux NV is a VIE due to insufficient equity investment at risk. The Company is not the primary beneficiary of this VIE since (1) the Company does not have the power to direct the most significant activities due to its lack of ability to direct the financing, capital and operating decisions of the VIE, and (2) the Company does not have the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. As a result, EarthMinded Benelux NV was deconsolidated from the operations of the Company as of August 31, 2016. The retained noncontrolling interest of $0.4 million as of October 31, 2017 and $0.3 million as of October 31, 2016 is included in prepaid expenses and other current assets in the consolidated balance sheets and the Company's share of the operations is classified in equity earnings of unconsolidated affiliates, net of tax, in the consolidated statements of income.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for a variable interest entity (VIE), including but not limited to, judgments and assumptions in determining whether to consolidate and in identifying the primary beneficiary, gain (loss) recognized on the initial consolidation of the VIE, terms of arrangements, amounts and classification of the VIE's assets and liabilities, and the entity's maximum exposure to loss. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2197479 + Details
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