COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Royalties

The Company has license agreements that require the payment of minimum royalties on sales of licensed products. The estimated future minimum royalties payable under the noncancellable term of these agreements are as follows (in thousands):


Year ending December 31,
2024	$	8,116
2025	150




Total	$	8,266

Legal proceedings

Wallace EPA Matter

Wallace Silversmiths de Puerto Rico, Ltd. (“WSPR”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, operates a manufacturing facility in San Germán, Puerto Rico that is leased from the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (“PRIDCO”). In March 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) announced that the San Germán Ground Water Contamination site in Puerto Rico (the “Site”) had been added to the Superfund National Priorities List due to contamination present in the local drinking water supply.

In May 2008, WSPR received from the EPA a Notice of Potential Liability and Request for Information pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Sections 9607(a) and 9604(e) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”). In July 2011, WSPR received a letter from the EPA requesting access to the property that it leases from PRIDCO to conduct an environmental investigation, and the Company granted such access. In February 2013, the EPA requested access to conduct a further environmental investigation at the property. PRIDCO agreed to such access, and the Company consented. The EPA conducted a further investigation during 2013 and, in April 2015, notified the Company and PRIDCO that the results from vapor intrusion sampling may warrant the implementation of measures to mitigate potential exposure to sub-slab soil gas. The Company reviewed the information provided by the EPA and requested that PRIDCO, as the property owner, find and implement a solution acceptable to the EPA. While WSPR did not cause the sub-surface condition that resulted in the potential for vapor intrusion, in order to protect the health of its employees and continue its business operations, it has nevertheless implemented corrective action measures to prevent vapor intrusion, such as sealing the floors of the building and conducting periodic air monitoring to address potential exposure.

On August 13, 2015, the EPA released its remedial investigation and feasibility study (“RI/FS”) for the Site. On December 11, 2015, the EPA issued the Record of Decision (“ROD”) for an initial operable unit (“OU-1”), electing to implement its preferred remedy, which consists of soil vapor extraction and dual-phase extraction/in-situ treatment. This selected remedy includes soil vapor extraction (“SVE”) to address soil (vadose zone) source areas at the Site, impermeable cover as necessary for the implementation of SVE, dual phase extraction in the shallow saprolite zone, and in-situ treatment as needed to address residual sources. The EPA’s total net present worth estimated cost for its selected remedy is $7.3 million. In February 2017, the EPA indicated that it planned to expand its field investigation for the RI/FS to a second operable unit (“OU-2”) to determine the nature and extent of the groundwater contamination at and from the Site and to determine the nature of the remedial action needed to address the contamination. The EPA requested access to the property occupied by WSPR to install monitoring wells and to undertake groundwater sampling as part of this expanded investigation. WSPR consented to the EPA’s access request, provided that the EPA received PRIDCO’s consent as the property owner. WSPR never used the primary contaminant of concern and did not take up its tenancy at the Site until after the EPA had discovered the contamination in the local water supply. The EPA has also issued notices of potential liability to a number of other entities affiliated with the Site, which used the contaminants of concern.

In December 2018, the Company, WSPR, and other identified potentially responsible parties affiliated with the Site entered into tolling agreements with the U.S. government to extend the statute of limitations for potential claims for the recovery of response costs for the initial operable unit under Section 107 of CERCLA. The tolling agreements have been extended multiple times and currently expire in November 2025. The tolling agreements do not constitute in any way an admission or acknowledgment of any fact, conclusion of law, or liability by the parties to the agreements.

The EPA released its proposed plan for OU-2 in July 2019, and on September 30, 2019, the EPA issued the ROD for OU-2. The EPA elected to implement its preferred remedy consisting of in-situ treatment of groundwater and a monitored natural attenuation program including monitoring of the plume fringe at the Site. The EPA’s estimated total net present worth cost for its selected remedy for OU-2 is $17.3 million, and the EPA is currently leading remediation of OU-2.

In August 2021, WSPR received a Notice of Liability for the Site from the Department of Justice on behalf of the EPA, and in September 2021, WSPR responded with a good faith offer to conduct additional testing and remedial design work for OU-1. WSPR has actively participated in negotiations among the U.S. Government (the Department of Justice and the EPA) and other potentially responsible parties with respect to the remedial work at OU-1, which negotiations culminated in the finalization of a Consent Decree for Remedial Design and Remedial Action at Operable Unit One of the San German Groundwater Contamination Site (“Consent Decree”). On July 26, 2023, the U.S. Government filed a complaint in United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico for the purpose of seeking judicial approval of the Consent Decree. As required by applicable regulations, the U.S. Government simultaneously lodged the Consent Decree for public comment. No comments were received during the public comment period. On September 6, 2023, at the conclusion of the public comment period, the U.S. Government filed a Motion to Enter the Consent Decree, which the court granted on December 1, 2023, thereby effectuating the Consent Decree.

The Company has reserved $5.6 million to cover probable and estimable liabilities with respect to the above remedial design and remedial action for the initial operable unit. However, it is not possible at this time for the Company to estimate its share of its ultimate liability for the Site. In the event of one or more adverse determinations related to this matter, it is possible that the ultimate liability resulting from this matter and the impact on the Company’s results of operations could be material.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Matter

By letter dated August 26, 2019, the Company was advised that U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") had commenced an investigation, pursuant to 19 U.S.C. §1592, regarding the Company’s tariff classification of certain tableware and kitchenware. The issue centers on whether such merchandise meets the criteria for reduced duty rates as specified sets as those terms are defined in Chapter 69, Note 6(b), Harmonized Tariff System of the United States. The period of investigation is stated to be from August 26, 2014 to the present. Since being notified of the investigation, the Company has obtained a significant amount of evidence that, the Company believes, supports that the imported products were properly classified as specified sets. The Company's counsel filed a Lead Protest and Application for Further Review with CBP on February 5, 2020 (the "Lead Protest") relating to a single shipment made during the investigation period.

CBP approved the Company’s Lead Protest on June 8, 2020 stating that the specified set requirement was fulfilled with respect to the protested shipment based on information provided by the Company. Based on this decision, no additional duties will be owed for the seven tableware collections imported in this shipment.

The Company also compiled and submitted to CBP a complete set of supporting documents for three additional protests (for the remaining 29 tableware collections that were imported by the Company under the protested shipments). One of the additional protests was approved on October 15, 2020; the other two remain pending. If the CBP approves these additional claims and accepts the evidence presented, then no additional duties will be owed for the remaining protested shipments.

Because the period of investigation covers a five-year period, the Company is compiling supporting documentation packages for all tableware collections imported during this period.

In the event CBP accepts the evidence presented, then no additional duties or penalties will be owed. If CBP rejects the Company’s

position, then the estimated amount of duties that could be owed is $0.5 million. In such event, it is reasonably possible that additional

penalties could be assessed, depending upon the level of culpability found, of up to $0.9 million for negligence and up to $1.8 million for gross negligence. In the event penalties are assessed, the Company will have the opportunity to further contest CBP’s findings and

seek cancellation or mitigation of such assessments.

Accordingly, based on the above uncertainties and variables, the Company considers the potential losses related to this matter to be reasonably possible, but not probable. However, in the event of one or more adverse determinations related to this matter, it is possible that the ultimate liability resulting from this matter and the impact on the Company’s results of operations could be material.

Other

The Company is, from time to time, involved in other legal proceedings. The Company believes that other current litigation is routine in nature and incidental to the conduct of the Company’s business and that none of this litigation, individually or collectively, would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.