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Background and Basis of Presentation
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Background and Basis of Presentation Background and Basis of Presentation
Background MasterBrand, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of residential cabinets in North America with a portfolio of leading residential cabinetry products for the kitchen, bathroom and other parts of the home. References to “Cabinets,” “MasterBrand,” “the Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to MasterBrand, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires.

On April 28, 2022, Fortune Brands announced that its Board of Directors approved in principle the Separation. The Cabinets segment of Fortune Brands had historically been operated by MBCI. In July 2022, Fortune Brands incorporated MasterBrand, Inc. in the State of Delaware and subscribed to all of the shares of MasterBrand, Inc.’s common stock upon its incorporation. After the incorporation of MasterBrand, Inc., the following occurred: (1) Fortune Brands contributed all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of MBCI to MasterBrand, Inc., resulting in MBCI becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of MasterBrand, Inc. through a transaction between entities under common control; and (2) MBCI was converted into a Delaware limited liability company, MasterBrand Cabinets LLC (collectively, the “Reorganization”).

On December 14, 2022, the Separation was completed via the Distribution. On December 14, 2022, the date of Separation, 128.0 million shares of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock were issued. Fortune Brand shareholders received one share of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock for each share of Fortune Brands common stock held on the record date. Following the Distribution, Fortune Brands stockholders owned 100 percent of the shares of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock and MasterBrand, Inc. became an independent, publicly-traded company, listed under the symbol “MBC” on the New York Stock Exchange, beginning December 15, 2022. All share and per share amounts for all prior periods presented in the consolidated financial statements, including Note 5, "Earnings Per Share," have been retroactively recast to reflect the effects of the changes in equity structure resulting from the Reorganization, Separation and Distribution. The historical activity of the Company is that of MBCI prior to the Reorganization. The Company’s equity structure prior to the Separation and Distribution included 5,000 shares of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock authorized and 100 shares issued. Prior to the incorporation of MasterBrand, Inc. in July 2022, the equity structure of MBCI included 1,000 authorized and issued shares of common stock. MasterBrand, Inc. is the registrant and the financial reporting entity following the consummation of the Separation and Distribution.

In order to govern the ongoing relationships between MasterBrand, Inc. and Fortune Brands after the Separation and to facilitate an orderly transition, the parties entered into a series of agreements including the following:

Separation and Distribution Agreement - sets forth the principal actions to be taken in connection with the Separation, including the transfer of assets and assumption of liabilities, among others, and sets forth other agreements governing aspects of the relationship between MasterBrand, Inc. and Fortune Brands.
Transition Services Agreement – allows for Fortune Brands and MasterBrand to provide certain transition services to each other for a limited time, up to 24 months following the Separation.
Tax Allocation Agreement – governs the respective rights, responsibilities and obligations of MasterBrand and Fortune Brands with respect to tax liabilities and benefits, tax attributes, tax contests and other matters regarding income taxes, non-income taxes and related tax returns.
Employee Matters Agreement – addresses certain employment, compensation and benefits matters, including the allocation and treatment of certain assets and liabilities relating to MasterBrand associates.

Basis of Presentation The accompanying financial statements are presented on a consolidated basis as the Company is a standalone public company. We have historically existed and functioned as a reporting segment of the consolidated business of Fortune Brands up until the Separation on December 14, 2022, at which time we became a standalone public company. Certain information from prior to the Separation was derived from Fortune Brands’ consolidated financial statements and accounting records. The consolidated financial statements and notes to consolidated financial statements as of and subsequent to December 14, 2022, the date of the Separation, reflect the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows for MasterBrand as an independent company. Prior to the Separation, the consolidated financial statements and notes to consolidated financial statements were prepared on a carve-out basis using the financial statements and accounting records of Fortune Brands. The carve-out basis financial statements represent the historical financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of MasterBrand as they were historically managed in accordance with GAAP and reflect significant assumptions and allocations. The carve-out financial statements may not include all expenses that would have been incurred had MasterBrand existed as a standalone entity.
Our consolidated financial statements are based on a 52- or 53-week fiscal year ending on the last Sunday in December in each calendar year. Fiscal 2023 consisted of 53 weeks ended on December 31, 2023. Fiscal 2022 and 2021 both consisted of 52 weeks ending on December 25, 2022 and December 26, 2021, respectively. References herein to years are to our fiscal years.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP.

The Company has one operating segment based on the nature of products the Company sells, its production and distribution model, the internal management structure and information that is regularly reviewed by the chief executive officer (“CEO”), who is the chief operating decision maker, for the purpose of assessing performance and allocating resources.

The consolidated statements of income include all revenues and costs directly attributable to our business, including costs for facilities, functions, and services we utilize. The consolidated statements of income also include an allocation of expenses related to certain Fortune Brands corporate functions through the Separation, including information technology, finance, executive, human resources, supply chain, internal audit, governance and legal services. These expenses have been allocated based on direct usage or benefit where specifically identifiable, with the remainder allocated on a proportional cost allocation method based primarily on net sales, associate headcount, or number of facilities, as applicable. Prior to the Separation, total expenses allocated for the 2022 and 2021 years were $92.5 million and $62.0 million respectively, of which $72.4 million and $42.3 million, respectively, was not previously allocated to us. Such amounts are primarily included within selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of income. We consider the expense methodology and resulting allocation to be reasonable; however, the allocations may not be indicative of actual expenses that would have been incurred had we operated as an independent, publicly-traded company in the prior year periods presented. Actual costs that we may have incurred during the time period when we were not a standalone company would depend on a number of factors, including the chosen organizational structure, whether functions were outsourced or performed by our associates and strategic decisions made in areas such as manufacturing, selling and marketing, research and development, information technology and infrastructure. Accordingly, historical allocations may not be indicative of future costs we incur operating as an independent, publicly-traded company.

The consolidated statements of income also include $2.4 million and $15.4 million of costs related to the separation from Fortune Brands for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, respectively. The Separation-related costs include advisory fees, professional fees and other transaction related costs incurred directly by us. These costs are included within selling, general and administrative expenses.

The income tax amounts in the consolidated financial statements have been calculated on a separate-return method and presented as if our operations were separate taxpayers in the respective jurisdictions. For the period prior to the Separation in 2022, including the Separation, federal and state income tax payments, withholding taxes, and refunds were paid and received by Fortune Brands on our behalf. The net income taxes paid on our behalf are payable to Fortune Brands, as provided in the indemnification provisions of the Tax Allocation Agreement. Accordingly, the net income tax payable of $32.6 million to Fortune Brands as of December 25, 2022, was recorded in accounts payable on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and settled in 2023.

Following the Separation, a limited number of services that Fortune Brands provided to us, or we provided to them, prior to the Separation continue to be provided for a period of time under a Transition Services Agreement. Throughout fiscal 2023, we have incurred certain costs as a standalone public company, including services provided by our own resources or through third-party service providers relating to corporate functions, including information technology, finance, executive, human resources, supply chain, internal audit, governance, and legal services, as well as ongoing additional costs associated with operating as an independent, publicly-traded company.

Fortune Brands utilized a central approach to treasury management, and prior to the Separation, we historically participated in related cash pooling arrangements. Our cash and cash equivalents on our consolidated balance sheets represent cash balances held in bank accounts owned by the Company and its subsidiaries. Prior to the Separation, we had no third-party borrowings, and all borrowings attributable to our business and due to Fortune Brands were recorded as “related party payable” in our consolidated balance sheets and classified as current or noncurrent based on loan maturity dates. Fortune Brands’ third-party debt and related interest expense were not attributed to us as we were not the legal obligor of the debt, and the borrowings were not specifically identifiable to us. However, in connection with the Separation, we completed a financing transaction, which resulted in additional interest expense beginning in the fourth quarter of 2022. See Note 11, "Debt," for additional information. For more information regarding related party transactions with Fortune Brands, see Note 20, "Related Party Transactions."
During the fourth quarter of 2022, we recognized $8.7 million of additional expense in cost of goods sold as an out-of-period adjustment. This adjustment was to correct errors for expenses that should have been recognized of $5.1 million, $1.6 million and $2.0 million in the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2022, June 26, 2022 and September 25, 2022, respectively. The adjustment did not have any impact on our annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 25, 2022.

Tornado at Jackson, GA Production Facility On January 12, 2023, a tornado hit the Company’s leased Jackson, Georgia production facility, causing damage to the Company’s assets and disrupting certain operations. Insurance, less applicable deductibles, covered the repair or replacement of the Company’s assets that suffered loss or damage, and the Company worked closely with its insurance carriers and claims adjusters to ascertain the full amount of insurance proceeds due to the Company as a result of the damages and the losses the Company suffered. The Company’s insurance policies also provide business interruption coverage, including lost profits, and reimbursement for other expenses and costs that have been incurred relating to the damages and losses suffered. In the first quarter of 2023, the Company incurred expenses of $9.4 million solely related to damages caused by the tornado. These expenses included compensation costs that we continued to pay skilled labor at the Jackson facility to enable a timely ramp up of production upon re-opening the facility on March 27, 2023, the first day of our fiscal second quarter of 2023, as well as the write-off of damaged inventory, freight costs to move product to other warehouses and professional fees to secure and maintain the site. No expenses related to the tornado were incurred during our second, third, or fourth quarters of 2023, and we do not expect to incur any additional costs related to this matter. During 2023, we received $7.4 million of insurance proceeds for direct costs caused by the tornado, consisting of $2.2 million, $2.0 million, and $3.2 million received during our second, third, and fourth quarters, respectively. Both the expenses and insurance recoveries are recorded as a component of cost of products sold in the consolidated statements of income. Upon receipt of the final insurance payment in the fourth quarter, we consider this claim to be closed.