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Note 15 - Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Notes to Financial Statements

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

(15)

Commitments and Contingencies

In order to reduce manufacturing lead times, the Company enters into agreements with certain suppliers to purchase inventory based on the Company’s requirements. A significant portion of the Company’s purchase commitments arising from these agreements consists of firm and non-cancelable commitments. These purchase commitments totaled $39,764,000 as of December 31, 2023, of which $33,570,000 is for purchases to be made in 2024 and $6,194,000 is for purchases to be made in 2025. The Company also had outstanding purchase commitments of $298,000 as of December 31, 2023 for the purchase of manufacturing equipment.

The Company bears insurance risk as a member of a group captive insurance entity for certain general liability, automobile and workers’ compensation insurance programs, a self-insured worker’s compensation program and a self-insured employee health program. The Company records estimated liabilities for its insurance programs based on information provided by the third-party plan administrators, historical claims experience, expected costs of claims incurred but not paid, and expected costs to settle unpaid claims. The Company monitors its estimated insurance-related liabilities on a quarterly basis. As facts change, it may become necessary to make adjustments that could be material to the Company’s consolidated results of operations and financial condition.

The Company is involved in certain litigation and contract issues arising in the normal course of business. While the outcome of these matters cannot, at this time, be predicted in light of the uncertainties inherent therein, management does not expect that these matters will have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial position or results of operations of the Company. Additionally, the Company believes its product liability insurance is adequate to cover all potential liability claims.

The Company accounts for loss contingencies in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Estimated loss contingencies are accrued only if the loss is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. With respect to a particular loss contingency, it may be probable that a loss has occurred but the estimate of the loss is within a wide range or undeterminable. If the Company deems an amount within the range to be a better estimate than any other amount within the range, that amount will be accrued. However, if no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other amount, the minimum amount of the range is accrued.

The Company has various current and previously owned facilities subject to a variety of environmental regulations. The Company has received certain indemnifications from either companies previously owning these facilities or from purchasers of those facilities. Additionally, certain property previously sold by the Company has been designated as a Brownfield Site and is under development by the purchaser. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, no amounts were accrued for any environmental matters. See “Legal Proceedings” in Part I, Item 3 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

On December 27, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) filed a lawsuit alleging that the Company had misinterpreted the language of the Company’s 401(k) Plans (collectively, the “Plan”). The DOL does not dispute that the Company reached such interpretation in good faith and after the Company consulted with independent ERISA counsel. Although the Company maintains that it had affirmative defenses against the DOL’s claims, in an effort to avoid further litigation the Company engaged in settlement discussions in the second half of 2022 with the DOL. On March 14, 2023, the parties jointly delivered to the court a proposed consent order and judgment containing the terms of a settlement agreement, which was entered into the court record on September 28, 2023. The settlement, among other terms, required the Company to pay a restoration payment of $575,000 to the Plan, which was deposited into the Plan’s unallocated asset account during the fourth quarter of 2023 and distributed among affected participants of the Plan in February 2024. The settlement agreement also assessed a 10% penalty under section 502(l) of ERISA, for which the Company requested a good faith waiver in March 2024.

On February 17, 2017, several employees (“Lucas Plaintiffs”) of KapStone Charleston Kraft, LLC filed a lawsuit in South Carolina alleging that they had been seriously burned when they opened a hinged closure and a hot tar-like material spilled out. Among other claims, the Lucas Plaintiffs allege that Sypris Technologies designed and manufactured the closure, that the closure was defective and that those defects had caused or contributed to their injuries. Sypris Technologies’ motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction was denied on February 28, 2020. On November 21, 2022, the Company received a demand for settlement presented by the Lucas Plaintiffs, which was rejected. On January 12, 2024, a hearing took place for oral arguments in support of Sypris Technologies’ motion for summary judgement previously filed in September 2023 and the Court’s order on that motion remains outstanding. The trial has been set for May 20, 2024 and a mediation of the parties is required to take place prior to the trial under South Carolina law. The Company received a subsequent demand for settlement presented by the Lucas Plaintiffs on January 29, 2024, which was also rejected. The Company is continuing to vigorously defend the matter and believes that it has affirmative defenses and any potential damages to be undeterminable. As a result, we are currently unable to estimate a loss or range of loss for this matter at this time. The Company’s general liability insurer has accepted the defense costs.