Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Significant Accounting Policies

v3.20.4
Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Significant Accounting Policies Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation. Brunswick Corporation (Brunswick or the Company) has prepared its consolidated financial statements pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Effective January 1, 2020, the Company changed its management reporting and updated its reportable segments to Propulsion, Parts and Accessories (P&A) and Boat (inclusive of Business Acceleration) to align with its strategy. As a result of this change, the Company has recast all segment information for all prior periods presented. Refer to Note 6 – Segment Information for further information on the Company's reportable segments. Additionally, as stated in Note 3 – Discontinued Operations, Brunswick's results reflect continuing operations only, unless otherwise noted.

Principles of Consolidation. Brunswick's consolidated financial statements include the accounts of all majority owned and controlled domestic and foreign subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) requires management to make certain estimates. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. These estimates affect:

The reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods;
The reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements; and
The disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements.

Estimates in these consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to:

Allowances for doubtful accounts;
Inventory valuation reserves;
Variable consideration related to recorded revenue;
Reserves related to repurchase and recourse obligations;
Warranty related reserves;
Losses on litigation and other contingencies;
Environmental reserves;
Insurance reserves;
Valuation of goodwill and other intangible assets;
Impairments of long-lived assets;
Reserves related to restructuring, exit and impairment activities;
Postretirement benefit liabilities;
Valuation allowances on deferred tax assets; and
Income tax reserves.

Cash and Cash Equivalents. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. These investments include, but are not limited to, investments in money market funds, bank deposits, federal government and agency debt securities and commercial paper.

Restricted Cash. Restricted Cash is primarily related to cash deposited in a trust that is pledged as collateral against certain workers' compensation-related obligations. Refer to Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies for more information.

Investments in Marketable Securities. The Company classifies investments in debt securities that are not considered to be cash equivalents as Short-term investments in marketable securities as discussed in Note 9 – Investments. Short-term investments in marketable securities have a stated maturity of twelve months or less from the balance sheet date. These securities are considered as available-for-sale and are reported at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses on these debt securities are recorded net of tax as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive loss in Unrealized investment losses within Shareholders' equity. Declines in market value from the original cost deemed to be "other-than-temporary" are charged to Other expense, net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the period in which the loss occurs. The Company considers both the duration for which a decline in value has occurred and the extent of the decline in its determination of whether a decline in value has been "other than temporary." Realized gains and losses are calculated based on the specific identification method and are included in Other expense, net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Accounts and Notes Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. The Company carries its accounts and notes receivable at their face amounts less an allowance for doubtful accounts. On a regular basis, the Company records an allowance for uncollectible receivables based upon known bad debt risks and past loss history, customer payment practices and economic conditions. Actual collection experience may differ from the current estimate of net receivables. A change to the allowance for doubtful accounts may be required if a future event or other change in circumstances results in a change in the estimate of the ultimate collectability of a specific account.

Inventories. Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with net realizable value equal to the estimated selling price less the estimated costs to transact. Approximately 50 percent and 45 percent of the Company's inventories were determined by the first-in, first-out method (FIFO) at December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. Remaining inventories valued at the last-in, first-out method (LIFO) were $145.3 million and $139.9 million lower than the FIFO cost of inventories at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Inventory cost includes material, labor and manufacturing overhead. During 2020, a reduction in inventory quantities resulted in a liquidation of applicable LIFO inventory quantities carried at lower costs in prior years. This LIFO liquidation resulted in a decrease in cost of sales of approximately $7 million. There were no liquidations of LIFO inventory layers in 2019 or 2018.

Property. Property, including major improvements and product tooling costs, is recorded at cost. Product tooling costs principally comprise the cost to acquire and construct various long-lived molds, dies and other tooling the Company uses in its manufacturing processes. Design and prototype development costs associated with product tooling are expensed as incurred. Maintenance and repair costs are also expensed as incurred. Depreciation is recorded over the estimated service lives of the related assets, principally using the straight-line method. Buildings and improvements are depreciated over a useful life of five to forty years. Equipment is depreciated over a useful life of two to twenty years. Product tooling costs are amortized over the shorter of the useful life of the tooling or the anticipated life of the applicable product, for a period up to eight years. The Company capitalizes interest on qualifying assets during the construction period and capitalized $4.4 million and $5.0 million in the periods ending December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company presents capital expenditures on a cash basis within the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. There were $31.7 million and $27.5 million of unpaid capital expenditures within Accounts payable as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company includes gains and losses recognized on the sale and disposal of property in either Selling, general and administrative expenses or Restructuring, exit and impairment charges as appropriate. The amount of gains and losses for the years ended December 31 were as follows:
(in millions) 2020 2019 2018
Gains on the sale of property $ 0.7  $ 1.8  $ 0.3 
Losses on the sale and disposal of property (0.5) (2.4) (0.8)
Net gains (losses) on sale and disposal of property $ 0.2  $ (0.6) $ (0.5)

At both December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company had $3.0 million of net assets classified as held-for-sale within Net property in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Software Development Costs for Internal Use. The Company expenses all software development and implementation costs incurred until the Company has determined that the software will result in probable future economic benefit and management has committed to funding the project. Once this is determined, external direct costs of material and services, payroll-related costs of employees working on the project and related interest costs incurred during the application development stage are capitalized. These capitalized costs are amortized over three to seven years. All other related costs, including training costs and costs to re-engineer business processes, are expensed as incurred.

Goodwill. Goodwill results from the excess of purchase price over the net assets of businesses acquired. The Company reviews goodwill for impairment annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair value of a reporting unit may be below its carrying value. As part of the annual test, the Company may perform a qualitative, rather than quantitative, assessment to determine whether the fair values of its reporting units are "more likely than not" to be greater than their carrying values. In performing this qualitative analysis, the Company considers various factors, including the effect of market or industry changes and the reporting units' actual results compared to projected results.

If the fair value of a reporting unit does not meet the "more likely than not" criteria discussed above, the Company performs a quantitative assessment which begins by measuring the fair value of the reporting unit. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, a goodwill impairment is recorded equal to the carrying value of the reporting unit less its fair value, not to exceed the carrying value of goodwill.
The Company calculates the fair value of its reporting units considering both the income approach and the guideline public company method. The income approach calculates the fair value of the reporting unit using a discounted cash flow approach utilizing a Gordon Growth model. Internally forecasted future cash flows, which the Company believes reasonably approximate market participant assumptions, are discounted using a weighted average cost of capital (Discount Rate) developed for each reporting unit. The Discount Rate is developed using market observable inputs, as well as considering whether or not there is a measure of risk related to the specific reporting unit’s forecasted performance. Fair value under the guideline public company method is determined for each unit by applying market multiples for comparable public companies to the unit’s current and forecasted financial results. The key uncertainties in these calculations are the assumptions used in determining the reporting unit’s forecasted future performance, including revenue growth and operating margins, as well as the perceived risk associated with those forecasts in determining the Discount Rate, along with selecting representative market multiples.

The Company did not record any goodwill impairments in 2020, 2019 or 2018 in continuing operations. Refer to Note 3 – Discontinued Operations for further information on the Fitness goodwill impairment recorded during 2019.

Other intangible assets. The Company's primary intangible assets are customer relationships and trade names acquired in business combinations. Intangible assets are initially valued using a methodology commensurate with the intended use of the asset. The customer relationships were valued using the income approach, specifically the multi-period excess earnings method (MPEEM). The fair value of trade names is measured using a relief-from-royalty (RFR) approach, which assumes the value of the trade name is the discounted amount of cash flows that would be paid to third parties had the Company not owned the trade name and instead licensed the trade name from another company. Higher royalty rates are assigned to premium brands within the marketplace based on name recognition and profitability, while other brands receive lower royalty rates. The basis for future sales projections for both the RFR and MPEEM are based on internal revenue forecasts by brand, which the Company believes represent reasonable market participant assumptions. The future cash flows are discounted using an applicable discount rate as well as any potential risk premium to reflect the inherent risk of holding a standalone intangible asset.

The key uncertainties in the RFR and MPEEM calculations, as applicable, are: the selection of an appropriate royalty rate, assumptions used in developing internal revenue growth and expense forecasts, assumed customer attrition rates, as well as the perceived risk associated with those forecasts in determining the discount rate and risk premium.

The costs of amortizable intangible assets are recognized over their expected useful lives, typically between three and fifteen years, using the straight-line method. Intangible assets that are subject to amortization are evaluated for impairment using a process similar to that used to evaluate long-lived assets described below. Intangible assets not subject to amortization are assessed for impairment at least annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that an asset may be impaired. As we determined the COVID-19 pandemic was a triggering event, we performed an interim impairment test of certain intangible assets as of March 28, 2020 in addition to our annual impairment test during the fourth quarter. The impairment test for indefinite-lived intangible assets consists of a comparison of the fair value of the intangible asset with its carrying amount. An impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset. The Company did not record any intangible asset impairments in 2020, 2019 or 2018.

Refer to Note 5 – Acquisitions and Note 11 – Goodwill and Other Intangibles in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

Equity Investments. For investments in which the Company owns or controls from 20 percent to 50 percent of the voting shares, the Company uses the equity method of accounting. The Company's share of net earnings or losses from equity method investments is included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company carries other investments, for which the Company does not have the ability to exercise significant influence, at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in net income. For equity investments that do not have a readily determinable fair value, the Company measures the investment at cost less impairment, plus or minus observable price changes. The Company periodically evaluates the carrying value of its investments. See Note 9 – Investments for further details about the Company's evaluation of the fair value of its investments.

Long-Lived Assets. The Company continually evaluates whether events and circumstances have occurred that indicate the remaining estimated useful lives of its definite-lived intangible assets and other long-lived assets may warrant revision or that the remaining balance of such assets may not be recoverable. Once an impairment indicator is identified, the Company tests for recoverability of the related asset group using an estimate of undiscounted cash flows over the asset group's remaining life. If an asset group's carrying value is not recoverable, the Company records an impairment loss based on the excess of the carrying value of the asset group over the long-lived asset group's fair value. Fair value is determined using observable inputs, including
the use of appraisals from independent third parties, when available, and, when observable inputs are not available, based on the Company's assumptions of the data that market participants would use in pricing the asset, based on the best information available in the circumstances. Specifically, the Company uses discounted cash flows to determine the fair value of the asset when observable inputs are unavailable. The Company tested its long-lived asset balances for impairment as indicators arose during 2020, 2019 and 2018, resulting in impairment charges of $0.9 million, $3.0 million and $12.7 million, respectively, which are recognized either in Restructuring, exit and impairment charges or Selling, general and administrative expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Other Long-Term Assets. Other long-term assets consists mainly of capitalized financing costs and deposits.

Revenue Recognition. Revenue is recognized as performance obligations under the terms of contracts with customers are satisfied; this occurs when control of promised goods is transferred to the customer. The Company recognizes revenue related to the sale of extended warranty contracts that extend the coverage period beyond the standard warranty period over the life of the extended warranty period.

Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration expected to be entitled to in exchange for transferring goods or providing services. The Company has excluded sales, value add, and other taxes collected concurrent with revenue-producing activities from the determination of the transaction price for all contracts. The Company has elected to account for shipping and handling activities that occur after the customer has obtained control of a good as a fulfillment activity. For all contracts with customers, the Company has not adjusted the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component as the period between the transfer of the promised goods and the customer's payment is expected to be one year or less.

For product sales, the Company transfers control and recognizes revenue at the time the product ships from a manufacturing or distribution facility ("free on board shipping point"), or at the time the product arrives at the customer's facility ("free on board destination"). When the shipping terms are "free on board shipping point", the customer obtains control and is able to direct the use of, and obtain substantially all of the benefits from, the products at the time the products are shipped. For shipments provided under "free on board destination", control transfers to the customer upon delivery. Payment terms vary but are generally due within 30 days of transferring control. For the Company's Boat and Propulsion segments, most product sales to dealers are wholesale financed through the Company's joint venture, Brunswick Acceptance Company, LLC (BAC), or other lending institutions, and payment is typically due in the month of shipment. For further information on the BAC joint venture, refer to Note 10 – Financing Joint Venture. In addition, periodically the Company may require the customer to provide up-front cash deposits in advance of performance.
The Company also sells separately priced extended warranty contracts that extend the coverage period beyond the standard warranty period. When determining an appropriate allocation of the transaction price to the extended warranty performance obligation, the Company uses an observable price to determine the stand-alone selling price. Extended warranties typically range from an additional 1 year to 3 years. The Company receives payment at the inception of the contract and recognizes revenue over the extended warranty coverage period. This time-elapsed method is used to measure progress because the Company, on average, satisfies its performance obligation evenly over the warranty period.
See Note 2 – Revenue Recognition for more information.

Advertising Costs. The Company records advertising and promotion costs in Selling, general and administrative expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the period when the advertising first takes place. Advertising and promotion costs were $29.7 million, $35.6 million and $31.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Foreign Currency. The functional currency for the majority of Brunswick's operations is the U.S. dollar. All assets and liabilities of operations with a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar are translated at period end current rates. The resulting translation adjustments are recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax. Revenues and expenses of operations with a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar are translated at the average exchange rates for the period. Transaction gains and losses resulting from changes in foreign currency exchange rates are recorded in either Cost of sales or Other expense, net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Share-Based Compensation. The Company records amounts for all share-based compensation, including non-vested stock awards and performance-based share awards over the vesting period in the Consolidated Statements of Operations based upon their fair values at the date of the grant. Share-based compensation costs are included in Selling, general and administrative
expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. See Note 18 – Stock Plans and Management Compensation for a description of the Company's accounting for share-based compensation plans.

Research and Development. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred.

Derivatives. The Company uses derivative financial instruments to manage its risk associated with movements in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates, and commodity prices. These instruments are used in accordance with guidelines established by the Company's management and are not used for trading or speculative purposes. The Company records all derivatives on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value. See Note 14 – Financial Instruments for further discussion.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

Current Expected Credit Loss: In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which updated the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) to add an impairment model that is based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted this standard and the adoption did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosures: In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-14, Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans, which modifies the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement plans. The amendment is effective for interim and annual periods ending after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this standard and it did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.