Commitments and Contingencies |
12 Months Ended |
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Dec. 31, 2022 | |
| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |
| Commitments and Contingencies | Catastrophic coverage has been purchased from third party insurers for occurrences in excess of $250 up to $60,000. The two risk areas involving the most significant accounting estimates are workers' compensation and automotive liability. Actuarial valuations performed by the Company's third-party risk insurance expert were used by the Company's management to form the basis for workers' compensation and automotive liability loss reserves. The actuary contemplated the Company's specific loss history, actual claims reported, and industry trends among statistical and other factors to estimate the range of reserves required. Risk insurance reserves are comprised of specific reserves for individual claims and additional amounts expected for development of these claims, as well as for incurred but not yet reported claims. The Company believes that the liability of approximately $2,323 recorded for such risk insurance reserves is adequate as of December 31, 2022. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has provided certain vendors and insurers letters of credit aggregating $35,890 related to our product purchases and insurance coverage of product liability, workers' compensation, and general liability.
The Company self-insures our group health claims up to an annual stop loss limit of $300 per participant. Historical group insurance loss experience forms the basis for the recognition of group health insurance reserves. Provisions for losses expected under these programs are recorded based on an analysis of historical insurance claim data and certain actuarial assumptions. The Company believes that the liability of approximately $2,573 recorded for such group health insurance reserves is adequate as of December 31, 2022.
The Company imports large quantities of fastener products which are subject to customs requirements and to tariffs and quotas set by governments through mutual agreements and bilateral actions. The Company could be
subject to the assessment of additional duties and interest if it or its suppliers fail to comply with customs regulations or similar laws. The U.S. Department of Commerce (the "Department”) has received requests from petitioners to conduct administrative reviews of compliance with anti-dumping duty and countervailing duty laws for certain nails products sourced from Asian countries. The Company sourced products under review from vendors in China and Taiwan during the periods selected for review. The Company accrues for the duty expense once it is determined to be probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated.
Hy-Ko Litigation
On June 1, 2021, Hy-Ko Products Company LLC ("Hy-Ko"), a manufacturer of key duplication machines, filed a complaint for, among other things, patent infringement against Hillman Group in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (Marshall Division). The case was assigned Civil Action No. 2:21-cv-0197. Hy-Ko's complaint alleged that Hillman's KeyKrafter and PKOR key duplication machines infringed certain patents, and sought damages and injunctive relief against Hillman Group.
On October 7, 2022, following a jury trial commencing October 3, 2022, the jury rendered a verdict finding that Hillman infringed two Hy-Ko patents, but also found that there was no willfulness in the infringement. The jury awarded Hy-Ko a one-time lump sum royalty payment of $16.0 million.
Following the verdict, on December 28, 2022, Hillman and Hy-Ko entered into a confidential settlement agreement that finally resolved all claims in the litigation (including those related to the jury verdict) and on January 4, 2023, the Court granted the parties’ joint stipulation dismissing all claims in the litigation with prejudice. The terms of the settlement agreement include an $18.5 million payment from Hillman to Hy-Ko (in lieu of the $16.0 million jury verdict) and protection from any potential future patent infringement claims between the parties relating to key duplication or key identification through 2032.
KeyMe Litigation
On June 3, 2019, The Hillman Group, Inc. ("Hillman Group") filed a complaint for patent infringement against KeyMe, LLC ("KeyMe"), a provider of self-service key duplication kiosks, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (Marshall Division) (the "Texas Court"). On August 16, 2019, KeyMe filed a complaint for patent infringement against Hillman Group in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. On March 2, 2020, Hillman Group filed a second complaint for patent infringement against KeyMe in the same Texas Court. On October 23, 2020, the Texas Court granted KeyMe’s motion to consolidate the two Texas cases and granted Hillman Group’s motion to add another patent.
On April 12, 2021, a jury in the Texas case returned a verdict that KeyMe did not infringe any of the asserted patents and several of the asserted claims were invalid. Final judgment was entered on April 13, 2021. On June 14, 2021, Hillman Group and KeyMe entered into a Settlement Agreement which globally resolved all pending legal disputes, including the Texas and Delaware district court actions discussed above.
In addition to the matters described above, we are involved in litigation arising in the normal course of business. In management’s opinion, any such litigation is not expected to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
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