Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

RESTRUCTURING, IMPAIRMENT AND PLANT CLOSING COSTS

v3.8.0.1
RESTRUCTURING, IMPAIRMENT AND PLANT CLOSING COSTS
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
RESTRUCTURING, IMPAIRMENT AND PLANT CLOSING COSTS  
RESTRUCTURING, IMPAIRMENT AND PLANT CLOSING COSTS

11.  RESTRUCTURING, IMPAIRMENT AND PLANT CLOSING COSTS

As of December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, accrued restructuring costs of continuing operations by type of cost and initiative consisted of the following (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-cancelable

 

Other

 

 

 

 

Workforce

 

Demolition and

 

lease and contract

 

restructuring

 

 

 

    

reductions(1)

    

decommissioning

    

termination costs

    

costs

    

Total(2)

Accrued liabilities as of January 1, 2015

 

$

28

 

$

 —

 

$

47

 

$

 3

 

$

78

2015 charges for 2014 and prior initiatives

 

 

 8

 

 

24

 

 

15

 

 

 9

 

 

56

2015 charges for 2015 initiatives

 

 

30

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

 3

 

 

33

Reversal of reserves no longer required

 

 

(7)

 

 

 —

 

 

(6)

 

 

 —

 

 

(13)

2015 payments for 2014 and prior initiatives

 

 

(23)

 

 

(8)

 

 

(17)

 

 

(7)

 

 

(55)

2015 payments for 2015 initiatives

 

 

(16)

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

(3)

 

 

(19)

Foreign currency effect on liability balance

 

 

(1)

 

 

 —

 

 

(2)

 

 

 —

 

 

(3)

Accrued liabilities as of December 31, 2015

 

 

19

 

 

16

 

 

37

 

 

 5

 

 

77

2016 charges for 2015 and prior initiatives

 

 

 1

 

 

24

 

 

 9

 

 

13

 

 

47

2016 charges for 2016 initiatives

 

 

 1

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

 5

 

 

 6

Reversal of reserves no longer required

 

 

(2)

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

(2)

Distribution of prefunded restructuring costs

 

 

(5)

 

 

(5)

 

 

 —

 

 

(1)

 

 

(11)

2016 payments for 2015 and prior initiatives

 

 

(8)

 

 

(15)

 

 

(4)

 

 

(13)

 

 

(40)

2016 payments for 2016 initiatives

 

 

(1)

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

(4)

 

 

(5)

Foreign currency effect on liability balance

 

 

(1)

 

 

(1)

 

 

(2)

 

 

 —

 

 

(4)

Accrued liabilities as of December 31, 2016

 

 

 4

 

 

19

 

 

40

 

 

 5

 

 

68

2017 (credits) charges for 2016 and prior initiatives

 

 

(1)

 

 

 3

 

 

 2

 

 

 2

 

 

 6

2017 charges for 2017 initiatives

 

 

10

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

 2

 

 

12

2017 payments for 2016 and prior initiatives

 

 

(1)

 

 

(21)

 

 

(2)

 

 

(2)

 

 

(26)

2017 payments for 2017 initiatives

 

 

(8)

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

(2)

 

 

(10)

Foreign currency effect on liability balance

 

 

 1

 

 

 1

 

 

 1

 

 

 —

 

 

 3

Accrued liabilities as of December 31, 2017

 

$

 5

 

$

 2

 

$

41

 

$

 5

 

$

53


(1)

The total workforce reduction reserves of $5 million relate to the termination of 130 positions, of which 82 positions had not been terminated as of December 31, 2017.

(2)

In December 2015, we prepaid $9 million of severance and other restructuring costs related to restructuring programs in our Textile Effects and Performance Products segments. Certain of the severance costs were prepaid to a third party who distributed the severance payments to affected employees when they were terminated in 2016.

(3)

Accrued liabilities remaining at December 31, 2017 and 2016 by year of initiatives were as follows (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31, 

 

    

2017

    

2016

2015 initiatives

 

$

50

 

$

67

2016 initiatives

 

 

 1

 

 

 1

2017 initiatives

 

 

 2

 

 

 —

Total

 

$

53

 

$

68

 

Details with respect to our reserves for restructuring, impairment and plant closing costs are provided below by segment and initiative (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Performance

 

Advanced

 

Textile

 

Corporate

 

 

 

 

    

Polyurethanes

    

Products

    

Materials

    

Effects

    

and other

    

Total

 

Accrued liabilities as of January 1, 2015

 

$

 6

 

$

 9

 

$

 5

 

$

54

 

$

 4

 

$

78

 

2015 charges for 2014 and prior initiatives

 

 

 2

 

 

 3

 

 

 1

 

 

42

 

 

 8

 

 

56

 

2015 charges for 2015 initiatives

 

 

17

 

 

 8

 

 

 5

 

 

 2

 

 

 1

 

 

33

 

Reversal of reserves no longer required

 

 

(4)

 

 

(1)

 

 

 —

 

 

(7)

 

 

(1)

 

 

(13)

 

2015 payments for 2014 and prior initiatives

 

 

(4)

 

 

(8)

 

 

(2)

 

 

(34)

 

 

(7)

 

 

(55)

 

2015 payments for 2015 initiatives

 

 

(11)

 

 

(1)

 

 

(5)

 

 

(1)

 

 

(1)

 

 

(19)

 

Foreign currency effect on liability balance

 

 

(1)

 

 

(1)

 

 

 —

 

 

(1)

 

 

 —

 

 

(3)

 

Accrued liabilities as of December 31, 2015

 

 

 5

 

 

 9

 

 

 4

 

 

55

 

 

 4

 

 

77

 

2016 charges for 2015 and prior initiatives

 

 

 —

 

 

16

 

 

 —

 

 

28

 

 

 3

 

 

47

 

2016 charges for 2016 initiatives

 

 

 4

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

 1

 

 

 1

 

 

 6

 

Reversal of reserves no longer required

 

 

(1)

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

(1)

 

 

(2)

 

Distribution of prefunded restructuring costs

 

 

 —

 

 

(6)

 

 

 —

 

 

(5)

 

 

 —

 

 

(11)

 

2016 payments for 2015 and prior initiatives

 

 

(3)

 

 

(19)

 

 

 —

 

 

(14)

 

 

(4)

 

 

(40)

 

2016 payments for 2016 initiatives

 

 

(3)

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

(1)

 

 

(1)

 

 

(5)

 

Foreign currency effect on liability balance

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

(1)

 

 

(3)

 

 

 —

 

 

(4)

 

Accrued liabilities as of December 31, 2016

 

 

 2

 

 

 —

 

 

 3

 

 

61

 

 

 2

 

 

68

 

2017 charges for 2016 and prior initiatives

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

 6

 

 

 —

 

 

 6

 

2017 charges for 2017 initiatives

 

 

 —

 

 

 1

 

 

 —

 

 

 7

 

 

 4

 

 

12

 

2017 payments for 2016 and prior initiatives

 

 

(1)

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

(25)

 

 

 —

 

 

(26)

 

2017 payments for 2017 initiatives

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

(5)

 

 

(5)

 

 

(10)

 

Foreign currency effect on liability balance

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

 3

 

 

 —

 

 

 3

 

Accrued liabilities as of December 31, 2017

 

$

 1

 

$

 1

 

$

 3

 

 

47

 

$

 1

 

$

53

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current portion of restructuring reserves

 

$

 1

 

$

 1

 

$

 3

 

$

 9

 

$

 1

 

$

15

 

Long-term portion of restructuring reserves

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

38

 

 

 —

 

 

38

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Details with respect to cash and noncash restructuring charges for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 by initiative are provided below (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

 

 

Cash charges:

 

 

 

 

2017 charges for 2016 and prior initiatives

 

 

$

 6

2017 charges for 2017 initiatives

 

 

 

12

Pension-related charges

 

 

 

 1

Noncash charges:

 

 

 

 

Accelerated depreciation

 

 

 

 2

Other noncash credits

 

 

 

(1)

Total 2017 Restructuring, Impairment and Plant Closing Costs

 

 

$

20

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash charges:

 

 

 

 

2016 charges for 2015 and prior initiatives

 

 

$

47

2016 charges for 2016 initiatives

 

 

 

 6

Reversal of reserves no longer required

 

 

 

(2)

Noncash charges:

 

 

 

 

Gain on sale of land

 

 

 

(4)

Total 2016 Restructuring, Impairment and Plant Closing Costs

 

 

$

47

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash charges:

 

 

 

 

2015 charges for 2014 and prior initiatives

 

 

$

56

2015 charges for 2015 initiatives

 

 

 

33

Reversal of reserves no longer required

 

 

 

(13)

Noncash charges:

 

 

 

 

Accelerated depreciation

 

 

 

 6

Other noncash charges

 

 

 

 1

Total 2015 Restructuring, Impairment and Plant Closing Costs

 

 

$

83

 

2017 Restructuring Activities

In September 2011, we implemented the Textile Effects Restructuring Plan, including the closure of our production facilities and business support offices in Basel, Switzerland. In connection with this restructuring plan, during the year ended December 31, 2017, our Textile Effects segment recorded restructuring expense of approximately $6 million associated with this initiative, including $2 million for non-cancelable long-term contract termination costs and $4 million for decommissioning.

During the first quarter of 2017, we implemented a restructuring program to improve competitiveness in our Textile Effects segment. In connection with this restructuring program, we recorded restructuring expense of $7 million in the year ended December 31, 2017 related primarily to workforce reductions. We expect to incur additional charges of approximately $1 million through the fourth quarter of 2018.

2016 Restructuring  Activities

In December 2015, our Performance Products segment announced plans for a reorganization of its commercial and technical functions and a refocused divisional business strategy to better position the segment for growth in coming years. In addition, a program was launched to capture growth opportunities, improve manufacturing cost efficiency and reduce inventories. In connection with this restructuring program, we recorded restructuring expense of $16 million in 2016. All expected charges have been incurred as of the end of 2016.

In connection with the Textile Effects Restructuring Plan during 2016, our Textile Effects segment recorded charges of $9 million for non-cancelable long-term contract termination costs and $20 million for decommissioning associated with this initiative.

2015 Restructuring Activities

In June 2015, our Polyurethanes segment initiated a restructuring program in Europe. In connection with this restructuring program, we recorded restructuring expense of $13 million during 2015 related primarily to workforce reductions. All expected charges have been incurred as of the end of 2015.

During 2013, our Performance Products segment initiated a restructuring program to refocus its surfactants business in Europe (the “Performance Products Restructuring Plan”). As part of our Performance Products Restructuring Plan, we recorded cash charges of $8 million primarily related to workforce reductions in 2015.

In June 2015, our Advanced Materials segment initiated a restructuring program in Europe. In connection with this restructuring program, we recorded restructuring expense of $11 million during 2015 related primarily to workforce reductions and accelerated depreciation recorded as restructuring, impairment and plant closing costs.

In connection with the Textile Effects Restructuring Plan, during 2015, we recorded charges of $9 million for non-cancelable long-term contract termination costs, $21 million for decommissioning and $1 million of other restructuring charges associated with this initiative. During the fourth quarter of 2015, we settled certain of our obligations under these long-term contracts and recorded a restructuring charge of  $14 million. In addition, we recorded charges of $6 million associated with other initiatives.

During 2015, our Corporate and other segment recorded charges of $8 million primarily related to a reorganization of our global information technology organization.