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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES
NOTE 9:-
 COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

a.
Pledges:

1.
The Company has pledged certain items of its equipment and the rights to any insurance claims on such items to secure its debts to banks, as well as placed floating liens on all of its remaining assets in favor of the banks. See note 7.

2.
The Company has pledged certain items of its equipment as a guarantee for the implementation of its benefited enterprise for tax proposes. The Company has determined that it is in compliance with the conditions of the approval (see Note 13a).

3.
The Company has also pledged machines to secure its indebtedness to certain suppliers that provided financing for such equipment.

b.
Operating leases and other agreements:
 
1.
The premises occupied by the Parent are leased under two lease agreements that expire in August 2022 and December 2022, respectively.
 
2.
The Parent has an obligation to purchase inventory that is held by a supplier in the total amount of $415.

3.
The Parent's motor vehicles are leased under operating lease agreements, mainly for three-year terms.
 
4.
Minimum future payments at December 31, 2017 due under the above agreements over the next five years and thereafter are as follows:
 
   
Premises leases
   
Other agreements
 
   
US Dollars in thousands
 
             
First year
   
36
     
698
 
Second year
   
36
     
599
 
Third year
   
36
     
431
 
Fourth year
   
36
     
97
 
Fifth year and thereafter
   
36
     
65
 
                 
     
180
     
1,890
 
 
Payments required under these agreements are charged to expense under the straight-line method over the periods of the respective leases.

Expenses recorded under these agreements for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 were $1,444, $ 1,447 and $ 1,463, respectively.

c.
Indemnification agreement:

The Parent entered into an indemnification agreement with its directors and officers and undertook to enter into the same agreement with future directors and officers, for losses incurred by a director or officer. Such indemnification amount is limited to 25% of the Parent's shareholders' equity.

The Israeli Companies Law provides that an Israeli company cannot exculpate an officer from liability with respect to a breach of his or her duty of loyalty.   If permitted by its articles of association, a company may exculpate in advance an officer from his or her liability to the company, in whole or in part, with respect to a breach of his or her duty of care.  However, a company may not exculpate in advance a director from his or her liability to the company with respect to a breach of his duty of care with respect to distributions.

The Company's articles of association allow it to exculpate any officer from his or her liability for breach of duty of care, to the maximum extent permitted by law, before or after the occurrence giving rise to such liability. The Parent provided an exculpation letter to each of its directors and officers, and agreed to provide the same to future officers.

d.
Contingent Liabilities:

Environmental Related Matters

In January 2014, July 2014, September 2015 and February 2016, the Parent received notices from Meitav, the water company of the Petach Tikva municipality, requiring payment of fees totaling $980 excluding VAT, for discharges of industrial wastewater allegedly not meeting the applicable standards into the municipal sewage system.  The payment demands were made on the basis of four samplings conducted by Meitav in its premises during the years 2013 through 2015.  In December 2015, the Parent's new wastewater treatment facility was completed.  In 2016, six wastewater samples were inspected by Meitav and were found to be in compliance with applicable standards. In July 2016 the Company reached a settlement agreement with Meitav, which amount was not significant.
 
In connection with the change of control of the Parent that resulted from Nistec’s acquisition of a controlling stake in the Parent, Israeli law requires it to obtain a new business permit in order to continue operating its business. The Parent has submitted an application for this permit and received a temporary permit until January 2019.  The new permit is expected to be subject to certain conditions, especially certain conditions imposed by the Israeli Ministry for Environmental Protection. Compliance with these conditions may be costly. .

In October 2015, the Parent filed an application for an emissions permit with the Ministry.  In January 2016, the Parent received a notice of non-compliance from the Ministry, stating that the application was incomplete and that the Parent is in breach of the Clean Air Law, 5768-2008 and the Licensing of Businesses Law, 5728-1968. Throughout 2016 and 2017 the Parent submitted amended application and conducted several discussions with the Ministry. The Parent received the emissions permit in July 2017.

Employee Related Matters

Three lawsuits were filed against the Parent in May 2008, in December 2014 and in August 2015 by three employees alleging that they had suffered personal injuries during their employment. One lawsuit was settled by the Parent's insurance company and the remaining two are seeking aggregate financial compensation of approximately $164 for past damages and additional amounts for future lost income, pain and suffering as the court may determine.

Four other employees notified the Parent in January 2011 and July 2013, that they allegedly suffered personal injuries during their employment with the Company. Of these four employees, one is seeking compensation of $165 and the others did not state their claim amount.

The Parent submitted all these claims to its insurance company, which informed the Parent that it is reviewing the statements of claim without prejudicing its rights to deny coverage.

During the period September 2015 through July 2017, five former employees filed law suits seeking additional payments in connection with their employment with the Parent and subsequent termination. The aggregate amount claimed is approximately $1.0 million. The Company recorded a provision according to the legal advisors opinion. In April 2018 the Parent reached a settlement agreement with one of the claimant which amount was not significant.