ALBANY INTERNATIONAL CORP /DE/ - Quarter Report: 2015 June (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

(√) QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended: June 30, 2015

OR

(  ) TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from __________ to __________

Commission file number: 1-10026

ALBANY INTERNATIONAL CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code 518-445-2200

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes [ √ ] No [    ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes [ √ ] No [    ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes [    ] No [ √ ]

The registrant had 28.8 million shares of Class A Common Stock and 3.2 million shares of Class B Common Stock outstanding as of July 22, 2015.

ALBANY INTERNATIONAL CORP.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements

ALBANY INTERNATIONAL CORP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(unaudited)

1. Basis of Presentation

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring adjustments and elimination of intercompany transactions necessary for a fair presentation of results for such periods. Albany International Corp. (“Albany”) consolidates the financial results of its subsidiaries for all periods presented. The results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year. The information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with “Risk Factors,” “Legal Proceedings,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation,” “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” and the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in Items 1A, 3, 7, 7A and 8, respectively, of the Albany International Corp. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in Albany International Corp.’s Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying Notes. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

2. Noncontrolling Interest

The table below presents a reconciliation of income attributable to the noncontrolling interest and noncontrolling equity:

3. Reportable Segments

The following tables show data by reportable segment, reconciled to consolidated totals included in the financial statements:

The table below presents restructuring costs by reportable segment (also see Note 5):

In the second quarter of 2015, the Company recorded a charge of $14.0 million associated with a revision in the profitability of a contract in the AEC segment. AEC has a long-term contract for the manufacture of composite components for the Rolls-Royce BR 725 engine (BR 725), which powers the Gulfstream G-650 business jet. These components are manufactured in AEC’s Boerne, Texas, facility. The contract for this program was signed in 2007 and contains a very aggressive approach to pricing compared to AEC’s other contracts. AEC was required to fund certain development costs for nonrecurring engineering and tooling and expected to recover those costs over the duration of the contract, which is anticipated to be more than 20 years. The deferred costs were included in Other assets on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets and, as of June 30, 2015, the Company had accumulated deferred contract expenses of approximately $10.9 million. The Company tests the recoverability of these deferred costs each quarter. During the second quarter of 2015, the Company revised its estimate of the profitability of this contract and determined that the entire balance of these deferred costs should be written off. Additionally, the Company has determined

that an additional charge of approximately $3.1 million should be recorded as a provision for anticipated contract losses. The total charge of $14.0 million is included in Cost of goods sold. In the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, the write-off of previously deferred costs is included in Other, net.

2015 Machine Clothing restructuring expense was principally related to the discontinuation of manufacturing operations at its press fabric manufacturing facility in Germany in April. Machine Clothing restructuring costs in 2014 were principally related to restructuring actions in France.  Albany Engineered Composites restructuring expense in 2014 was related to organizational changes.

Land and building related to the former manufacturing facility in Germany has been reclassified as Asset held for sale in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. We reclassified to Asset held for sale the net book value of $8.3 million and $9.1 million as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. There were no other material changes in the total assets of the reportable segments during this period. 

4. Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

Pension Plans

The Company has defined benefit pension plans covering certain U.S. and non-U.S. employees. The U.S. qualified defined benefit pension plan has been closed to new participants since October 1998 and, as of February 2009, benefits accrued under this plan were frozen. As a result of the freeze, employees covered by the pension plan will receive, at retirement, benefits already accrued through February 2009, but no new benefits accrue after that date. Benefit accruals under the U.S. Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan ("SERP") were similarly frozen. The eligibility, benefit formulas, and contribution requirements for plans outside of the U.S. vary by location.

Other Postretirement Benefits

The Company also provides certain postretirement life insurance benefits to retired employees in the U.S. and Canada. The Company accrues the cost of providing postretirement benefits during the active service period of the employees. The Company currently funds the plan as claims are paid.

The composition of the net periodic benefit plan cost for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014 was as follows: 

5. Restructuring

During the first quarter of 2015, the Company announced a plan to discontinue manufacturing operations at its press fabric manufacturing facility in Göppingen, Germany.   The restructuring program was driven by the Company’s need to balance manufacturing capacity with demand.  In April 2015, we reached agreement on the restructuring plan with the Works Council and manufacturing operations discontinued during the second quarter.  Approximately 50 employees were terminated under this plan, and the restructuring expense recorded in 2015 reflects our estimate of the severance costs. It is possible that we will incur additional charges for impairment of property, plant and equipment, but no impairment is presently determinable. Whereas the affected employees were related to manufacturing operations, cost savings associated with this action were recorded in Cost of goods sold.

Machine Clothing restructuring costs in 2014 were principally related to restructuring actions in France.  Albany Engineered Composites restructuring expense in 2014 was related to organizational changes.

The following table summarizes charges reported in the Statements of Income under “Restructuring expenses, net”:

We expect that substantially all Accrued liabilities for restructuring will be paid within one year. The table below presents year-to-date changes in restructuring liabilities for 2015 and 2014, all of which related to termination costs:

6. Other (Income)/Expenses, net

The components of Other (income)/expenses, net, are:

In March 2015, the Company sold its total equity investment in an unaffiliated company. The value of the investment was written off in 2004, resulting in a gain of $0.9 million in the first quarter of 2015.

In July 2013, the Company’s manufacturing facility in Germany was damaged by severe weather. At that time, the Company expensed the remaining book value of the damaged property, but that value was minimal. In the second quarter of 2014, we recorded a gain equal to insurance proceeds received of $1.0 million.

7. Income Taxes

The following table presents components of income tax expense for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014:

The year-to-date estimated effective tax rate on continuing operations was 43.5 percent in 2015, as compared to 36.5 percent for the same period in 2014.

The Company records the residual U.S. and foreign taxes on certain amounts of current year foreign earnings that have been targeted for repatriation to the U.S. As a result, such amounts are not considered to be permanently reinvested, and the Company accrued as part of the income tax provision before discrete items, for the residual taxes on these earnings to the extent they cannot be repatriated

in a tax-free manner. As of June 30, 2015, the Company has a deferred tax liability of $3.7 million on $59.4 million of prior year non-U.S. earnings that is targeted for future repatriation to the U.S.

We conduct business globally and, as a result, the Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state and foreign jurisdictions.  In the normal course of business we are subject to examination by taxing authorities throughout the world, including major jurisdictions such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and Switzerland. The open tax years in these jurisdictions range from 2000 to 2014. We are currently under audit in the U.S. and in other non-U.S. tax jurisdictions, including but not limited to Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

It is reasonably possible that over the next twelve months the amount of unrecognized tax benefits may change within a range of a net increase of $8.8 million to a net decrease of $2.5 million, from the reevaluation of uncertain tax positions arising in examinations, in appeals, or in the courts, or from the closure of tax statutes.

The Company recognized current and deferred tax benefits of approximately $25.3 million on their corporate income tax returns filed in Germany related to a 1999 reorganization that have been challenged by the German tax authorities in the course of an audit.  In 2008 the German Federal Tax Court (FTC) denied tax benefits to other taxpayers in a case involving German tax laws relevant to our reorganization. One of these cases involved a non-German party, and in the ruling in that case, the FTC acknowledged that the German law in question may be violative of European Union (EU) principles and referred the issue to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for its determination on this issue. In September 2009, the ECJ issued an opinion in this case that is generally favorable to the other taxpayer and referred the case back to the FTC for further consideration. In May 2010, the FTC released its decision, in which it resolved certain tax issues that may be relevant to our audit and remanded the case to a lower court for further development.  In 2012, the lower court decided in favor of the taxpayer and the government appealed the findings to the FTC.  On July 2, 2014, The FTC conducted a hearing in the aforementioned case involving the other taxpayer, and the taxpayer lost.  The final written decision of the FTC was published during the fourth quarter of 2014.  Although the decision of the FTC in the case is not determinative of the outcome in our case, management viewed the conclusion of this matter as an opportunity to approach the German tax authorities with the goal of a settlement agreement.  We were required to pay tax and interest of approximately $14.5 million to the German tax authorities in order to pursue our appeal position.  In anticipation of a settlement, a portion of the prepaid taxes and interest along with certain deferred tax assets were adjusted downward by $6.3 million in 2014. The recognition of the uncertain tax position in deferred tax assets was partially offset by a reduction in a valuation allowance that offset the deferred tax assets. The remaining tax benefits sustained on the books are related to current tax benefits that were recognized in earlier tax years. Included in the range above is approximately $8.8 million of tax benefits that will continue to be challenged by the German tax authorities.

8. Earnings Per Share

The amounts used in computing earnings per share and the weighted average number of shares of potentially dilutive securities are as follows:

 9. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss)

The table below presents changes in the components of AOCI for the period December 31, 2014 to June 30, 2015:

The table below presents changes in the components of AOCI for the period December 31, 2013 to June 30, 2014:

The table below presents the expense/(income) amounts reclassified, and the line items of the Statement of Income that were affected for the periods ended June 30, 2015 and 2014.

10. Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable includes trade receivables and revenue in excess of progress billings on long-term contracts in the Albany Engineered Composites business. The Company maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments. The Company determines the allowance based on historical write-off experience, customer-specific facts and economic conditions. If the financial condition of the Company’s customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required.

As of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, Accounts receivable consisted of the following:

In connection with certain sales in Asia Pacific, the Company accepts a bank promissory note as customer payment. The notes may be presented for payment at maturity, which is less than one year.

11. Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, and are valued at average cost, net of reserves. Costs included in inventory are raw materials, labor, supplies, and allocable depreciation and overhead. The Company maintains reserves for possible impairment in the value of inventories. Such reserves can be specific to certain inventory, or general based on judgments about the overall condition of the inventory. General reserves are established based on percentage write-downs applied to aged inventories, or for inventories that are slow-moving. If actual results differ from estimates, additional inventory write-downs may be necessary. These general reserves for aged inventory are relieved through income only when the inventory is sold.

As of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, inventories consisted of the following: 

12. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are not amortized, but are tested for impairment at least annually. Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in each business combination. Our reporting units are consistent with our operating segments.

 Determining the fair value of a reporting unit requires the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including revenue growth rates, operating margins, discount rates, and future market conditions, among others. Goodwill and other long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events, such as significant changes in the business climate, plant closures, changes in product offerings, or other circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.

To determine fair value, we utilize two market-based approaches and an income approach. Under the market-based approaches, we utilize information regarding the Company as well as publicly available industry information to determine earnings multiples and sales multiples. Under the income approach, we determine fair value based on estimated future cash flows of each reporting unit, discounted by an estimated weighted-average cost of capital, which reflects the overall level of inherent risk of a reporting unit and the rate of return an outside investor would expect to earn. 

The entire balance of goodwill on our books is attributable to the Machine Clothing business. In the second quarter of 2015, the Company applied the qualitative assessment approach in performing its annual evaluation of goodwill and concluded that no impairment provision was required. There were no amounts at risk due to the large spread between the fair and carrying values.

We are continuing to amortize certain patents, trade names, customer contracts and technology assets that have finite lives. The changes in intangible assets and goodwill from December 31, 2014 to June 30, 2015, were as follows:

Estimated amortization expense of intangibles for the years ending December 31, 2015 through 2019, is as follows:

13. Financial Instruments

Long-term debt, principally to banks and bondholders, consists of:

A note agreement and guaranty (“Prudential Agreement”) was originally entered into in October 2005 with the Prudential Insurance Company of America, and certain other purchasers, with interest at 6.84% and a maturity date of October 25, 2017. The remaining obligation under the Prudential Agreement of $100 million has a mandatory payment of $50 million due on October 25, 2015, and the final payment is due October 25, 2017. At the noteholders’ election, certain prepayments may also be required in connection with certain asset dispositions or financings. The notes may not otherwise be prepaid without a premium, under certain market conditions. The Prudential Agreement contains customary terms, as well as affirmative covenants, negative covenants, and events of default, comparable to those in our current principal credit facility agreement (as described below). The Prudential Agreement has been amended a number of times, most recently in June 2015, in order to maintain terms comparable to our current principal credit facility. For disclosure purposes, we are required to measure the fair value of outstanding debt on a recurring basis. As of June 30, 2015, the fair value of this debt was approximately $108.2 million, and was measured using active market interest rates, which would be considered Level 2 for fair value measurement purposes.

On June 18, 2015, we entered into a $400 million, unsecured Five-Year Revolving Credit Facility Agreement (“Credit Agreement”), under which $202 million of borrowings were outstanding as of June 30, 2015. The Credit Agreement replaced a $330 million five-year credit agreement entered into in 2013. The applicable interest rate for borrowings under the Credit Agreement is, as it was under the former agreement, LIBOR plus a spread, based on our leverage ratio at the time of borrowing. At the time of the last borrowing on June 18, 2015, the spread was 1.375%. The spread is based on a pricing grid, which ranges from 1.25% to 1.75%, based on our leverage ratio.

Our ability to borrow additional amounts under the Credit Agreement is conditional upon the absence of any defaults, as well as the absence of any material adverse change (as defined in the

Credit Agreement). Based on our maximum leverage ratio and our Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement), and without modification to any other credit agreements, as of June 30, 2015, we would have been able to borrow an additional $198 million under the Credit Agreement.

On July 16, 2010, we entered into interest rate hedging transactions that had the effect of fixing the LIBOR portion of the effective interest rate (before addition of the spread) on $105 million of the indebtedness. The net effect was to fix the effective interest rate on $105 million of indebtedness at 2.04%, plus the applicable spread. The agreements expired on July 16, 2015. On June 30, 2015, the all-in rate on the $105 million of debt was 3.415%.

On May 20, 2013, we entered into interest rate hedging transactions for the period July 16, 2015 through March 16, 2018. These transactions have the effect of fixing the LIBOR portion of the effective interest rate (before addition of the spread) on $110 million of indebtedness drawn under the Credit Agreement at the rate of 1.414% during this period. Under the terms of these transactions, we pay the fixed rate of 1.414% and the counterparties pay a floating rate based on the one-month LIBOR rate at each monthly calculation date, which on June 30, 2015 was 0.1865%. The net effect is to fix the effective interest rate on $110 million of indebtedness at 1.414%, plus the applicable spread, during the swap period.

On July 16, 2015, we entered into interest rate hedging transactions for the period March 16, 2018 through June 16, 2020. These transactions have the effect of fixing the LIBOR portion of the effective interest rate (before addition of the spread) on $120 million of indebtedness drawn under the Credit Agreement at the rate of 2.43% during this period. Under the terms of these transactions, we pay the fixed rate of 2.43% and the counterparties pay a floating rate based on the one-month LIBOR rate at each monthly calculation date, which on June 30, 2015 was 0.1865%. The net effect is to fix the effective interest rate on $120 million of indebtedness at 2.43%, plus the applicable spread, during the swap period.

These interest rate swaps are accounted for as a hedge of future cash flows, as further described in Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. No cash collateral was received or pledged in relation to the swap agreements.

Under the Credit Agreement and Prudential Agreement, we are currently required to maintain a leverage ratio (as defined in the agreements) of not greater than 3.50 to 1.00 and minimum interest coverage (as defined) of 3.00 to 1.00.

As of June 30, 2015, our leverage ratio was 1.55 to 1.00 and our interest coverage ratio was 12.59 to 1.00. We may purchase our Common Stock or pay dividends to the extent our leverage ratio remains at or below 3.50 to 1.00, and may make acquisitions with cash provided our leverage ratio would not exceed 3.50 to 1.00 after giving pro forma effect to the acquisition.

 Indebtedness under each of the Prudential Agreement and the Credit Agreement is ranked equally in right of payment to all unsecured senior debt.

We were in compliance with all debt covenants as of June 30, 2015.

14. Fair-Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Accounting principles establish a hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable

inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available. Level 3 inputs are unobservable data points for the asset or liability, and include situations in which there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability. As of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we have no Level 3 financial assets or liabilities.

The following table presents the fair-value hierarchy for our Level 1 and Level 2 financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

Cash equivalents include short-term securities that are considered to be highly liquid and easily tradable. These securities are valued using inputs observable in active markets for identical securities.

The common stock of the unaffiliated foreign public company is traded in an active market exchange. The shares are measured at fair value using closing stock prices and are recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as Other assets. The securities are classified as available for sale, and as a result any unrealized gain or loss is recorded in the Shareholders’ Equity section of the Consolidated Balance Sheets rather than in the Consolidated Statements of Income. When the security is sold or impaired, gains and losses are reported on the Consolidated Statements of Income. Investments are considered to be impaired when a decline in fair value is judged to be other than temporary.

Foreign currency instruments are entered into periodically, and consist of foreign currency option contracts and forward contracts that are valued using quoted prices in active markets obtained from independent pricing sources. These instruments are measured using market foreign exchange prices and are recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as Other current assets and Accounts payable, as applicable. Changes in fair value of these instruments are recorded as gains or losses within Other (income)/expenses, net.

When exercised, the foreign currency instruments are net settled with the same financial institution that bought or sold them. For all positions, whether options or forward contracts, there is risk from the possible inability of the financial institution to meet the terms of the contracts and the risk of unfavorable changes in interest and currency rates, which may reduce the value of the instruments. We seek to control risk by evaluating the creditworthiness of counterparties and by monitoring the currency exchange and interest rate markets while reviewing the hedging risks and contracts to ensure compliance with our internal guidelines and policies.

We operate our business in many regions of the world, and currency rate movements can have a significant effect on operating results.

Changes in exchange rates can result in revaluation gains and losses that are recorded in Selling, General and Administrative expenses or Other (income)/expenses, net. Revaluation gains and losses occur when our business units have cash, intercompany (recorded in Other (income)/expenses, net) or third-party trade (recorded in Selling, General and Administrative expenses) receivable or payable balances in a currency other than their local reporting (or functional) currency.

Operating results can also be affected by the translation of sales and costs, for each non-U.S. subsidiary, from the local functional currency to the U.S. dollar. The translation effect on the Consolidated Statements of Income is dependent on our net income or expense position in each non-U.S. currency in which we do business. A net income position exists when sales realized in a particular currency exceed expenses paid in that currency; a net expense position exists if the opposite is true.

The interest rate swaps are accounted for as hedges of future cash flows. The fair value of our interest rate swaps are derived from a discounted cash flow analysis based on the terms of the contract and the interest rate curve, and is included in Other assets and Other noncurrent liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Unrealized gains and losses on the swaps flow through the caption Derivative valuation adjustment in the Shareholders’ equity section of the Consolidated Balance Sheets, to the extent that the hedges are highly effective. As of June 30, 2015, these interest rate swaps were determined to be 100% effective hedges of interest rate cash flow risk. Any gains and losses related to the ineffective portion of the hedges will be recognized in the current period in earnings. Amounts accumulated in Other comprehensive income are reclassified as Interest expense, net when the related interest payments (that is, the hedged forecasted transactions) affect earnings. Interest expense related to the swaps totaled $1.0 million for each of the six month periods ended June 30, 2015 and 2014.

Gains/ (losses) related to changes in fair value of derivative instruments that were recognized in Other (income)/expenses, net in the Statements of Income were as follows: 

15. Contingencies

Asbestos Litigation

Albany International Corp. is a defendant in suits brought in various courts in the United States by plaintiffs who allege that they have suffered personal injury as a result of exposure to asbestos-containing products that we previously manufactured. We produced asbestos-containing paper machine clothing synthetic dryer fabrics marketed during the period from 1967 to 1976 and used in certain paper mills. Such fabrics generally had a useful life of three to twelve months.

We were defending 3,817 claims as of June 30, 2015.

The following table sets forth the number of claims filed, the number of claims settled, dismissed or otherwise resolved, and the aggregate settlement amount during the periods presented:

We anticipate that additional claims will be filed against the Company and related companies in the future, but are unable to predict the number and timing of such future claims.

Exposure and disease information sufficient to meaningfully estimate a range of possible loss of a particular claim is typically not available until late in the discovery process, and often not until a trial date is imminent and a settlement demand has been received. For these reasons, we do not believe a meaningful estimate can be made regarding the range of possible loss with respect to pending or future claims.

While we believe we have meritorious defenses to these claims, we have settled certain claims for amounts we consider reasonable given the facts and circumstances of each case. Our insurer, Liberty Mutual, has defended each case and funded settlements under a standard reservation of rights. As of June 30, 2015 we had resolved, by means of settlement or dismissal, 37,260 claims. The total cost of resolving all claims was $9.3 million. Of this amount, almost 100% was paid by our insurance carrier. The Company’s insurer has confirmed that although the coverage limits under two (of approximately 23) primary insurance policies have been exhausted, there still remains approximately $3 million in coverage limits under other applicable primary policies, and $140 million in coverage under excess umbrella coverage policies that should be available with respect to current and future asbestos claims.

Brandon Drying Fabrics, Inc. (“Brandon”), a subsidiary of Geschmay Corp., which is a subsidiary of the Company, is also a separate defendant in many of the asbestos cases in which Albany is named as a defendant. Brandon was defending against 7,718 claims as of June 30, 2015.

The following table sets forth the number of claims filed, the number of claims settled, dismissed or otherwise resolved, and the aggregate settlement amount during the periods presented:

We acquired Geschmay Corp., formerly known as Wangner Systems Corporation, in 1999. Brandon is a wholly owned subsidiary of Geschmay Corp. In 1978, Brandon acquired certain assets from Abney Mills (“Abney”), a South Carolina textile manufacturer. Among the assets acquired by Brandon from Abney were assets of Abney’s wholly owned subsidiary, Brandon Sales, Inc. which had sold, among other things, dryer fabrics containing asbestos made by its parent, Abney. Although Brandon manufactured and sold dryer fabrics under its own name subsequent to the asset purchase, none of such fabrics contained asbestos. Because Brandon did not manufacture asbestos-containing products, and because it does not believe that it was the legal successor to, or otherwise responsible for obligations of Abney with respect to products manufactured by Abney, it believes it has strong defenses to the claims that have been asserted against it. As of June 30, 2015, Brandon has resolved, by means of settlement or dismissal, 9,887 claims for a total of $0.2 million. Brandon’s insurance carriers initially agreed to pay 88.2% of the total indemnification and defense costs related to these proceedings, subject to the standard reservation of rights. The remaining 11.8% of the costs had been borne directly by Brandon. During 2004, Brandon’s insurance carriers agreed to cover 100% of indemnification and defense costs, subject to policy limits and the standard reservation of rights, and to reimburse Brandon for all indemnity and defense costs paid directly by Brandon related to these proceedings.

For the same reasons set forth above with respect to Albany’s claims, as well as the fact that no amounts have been paid to resolve any Brandon claims since 2001, we do not believe a meaningful estimate can be made regarding the range of possible loss with respect to these remaining claims.

In some of these asbestos cases, the Company is named both as a direct defendant and as the “successor in interest” to Mount Vernon Mills (“Mount Vernon”). We acquired certain assets from Mount Vernon in 1993. Certain plaintiffs allege injury caused by asbestos-containing products alleged to have been sold by Mount Vernon many years prior to this acquisition. Mount Vernon is contractually obligated to indemnify the Company against any liability arising out of such products. We deny any liability for products sold by Mount Vernon prior to the acquisition of the Mount Vernon assets. Pursuant to its contractual indemnification obligations, Mount Vernon has assumed the defense of these claims. On this basis, we have successfully moved for dismissal in a number of actions.

Although we do not believe, based on currently available information and for the reasons stated above, that a meaningful estimate of a range of possible loss can be made with respect to such claims, based on our understanding of the insurance policies available, how settlement amounts have been allocated to various policies, our settlement experience, the absence of any judgments against the Company or Brandon, the ratio of paper mill claims to total claims filed, and the defenses available,

we currently do not anticipate any material liability relating to the resolution of the aforementioned pending proceedings in excess of existing insurance limits.

Consequently, we currently do not anticipate, based on currently available information, that the ultimate resolution of the aforementioned proceedings will have a material adverse effect on the financial position, results of operations, or cash flows of the Company. Although we cannot predict the number and timing of future claims, based on the foregoing factors and the trends in claims against us to date, we do not anticipate that additional claims likely to be filed against us in the future will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. We are aware that litigation is inherently uncertain, especially when the outcome is dependent primarily on determinations of factual matters to be made by juries.

16. Changes in Shareholders’ Equity

The following table summarizes changes in Shareholders’ Equity:

17. Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, an accounting update was issued that replaces the existing revenue recognition framework regarding contracts with customers. In July 2015, the FASB agreed to defer by one year, the mandatory effective date of the revenue recognition standard. This accounting update is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2017. Early adoption is permitted but not before the original effective date, which is for reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2016. We have not determined the impact of this update on our financial statements.

In January 2015, an accounting update was issued which eliminates the concept of extraordinary items from U.S. GAAP. This accounting update is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015. We do not expect this update to have a significant effect on our financial statements, absent any future transactions that would have qualified for extraordinary item presentation under the prior guidance.

In February 2015, amended accounting guidance was issued which changes the evaluation of variable interest entities regarding whether they should consolidate limited partnerships and similar entities, or whether fees are paid to a decision maker or service provider, or whether they are held by

related parties. This accounting update is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015. We do not expect the adoption of this update to have a significant effect on our financial statements.

In April 2015, an accounting update was issued which requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction of that debt, which may result in a minor netting down of our assets and liabilities. This accounting update is effective January 1, 2016 and early adoption is permitted. We do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material effect on our financial statements. 

In April 2015, an accounting update was issued which clarifies that if a license is acquired as part of fees paid in a cloud computing arrangement, then the license should be accounted for in the same manner as other software licenses. This accounting update is effective for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2016. We do not expect the adoption of this update to have a significant effect on our financial statements. 

In May 2015, an accounting update was issued which eliminates the requirement to categorize investments in the fair value hierarchy if their fair value is measured at net asset value (NAV) per share. This update is effective retrospectively for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted and we do not expect this update to have a significant effect on our financial statements. 

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) is intended to help the reader understand the results of operations and financial condition of the Company. MD&A is provided as a supplement to, and should be read in conjunction with, our Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying Notes.

Forward-looking statements

This quarterly report and the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this quarterly report contain statements concerning our future results and performance and other matters that are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” ”may,” “plan,” “project,” “will,” “should” and variations of such words or similar expressions are intended, but are not the exclusive means, to identify forward-looking statements. Because forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, (including, without limitation, those set forth in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or prior Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q) actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

There are a number of risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to:

Further information concerning important factors that could cause actual events or results to be materially different from the forward-looking statements can be found in “Business Environment and Trends” sections of this quarterly report, as well as in the “Risk Factors” section of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. While we believe such assessments to have a reasonable basis, such assessments are, by their nature, inherently uncertain. This report sets forth a number of assumptions regarding these assessments, including projected timing and volume of demand for aircraft and for LEAP aircraft engines. Such assumptions could prove incorrect. Although we believe the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it is not possible to foresee or identify all factors that could have a material and negative impact on our future performance. The forward-looking statements included or incorporated by reference in this report are made on the basis of our assumptions and analyses, as of the time the statements are made, in light of our experience and perception of historical conditions, expected future developments, and other factors believed to be appropriate under the circumstances.

Except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws, we disclaim any obligations or undertaking to publicly release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference in this report to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Overview

Our reportable segments, Machine Clothing (MC) and Albany Engineered Composites (AEC), draw on many of the same advanced textiles and materials processing capabilities, and compete on the basis of proprietary, product-based advantage that is grounded in those core capabilities. As a result, technology and manufacturing advances in one tend to benefit the other.

The Machine Clothing segment is the Company’s long-established core business and primary generator of cash. While the paper and paperboard industry in our traditional geographic markets has suffered from well-documented declines in publication grades, the industry is still expected to grow on a global basis, driven by demand for packaging and tissue grades, as well as the expansion of paper consumption and production in Asia and South America. We feel we are now well-positioned in these markets, with high-quality, low-cost production in growth markets, substantially lower fixed costs in mature markets, and continued strength in new product development, field services, and manufacturing technology. Although we consider the market for Machine Clothing as having flat growth potential, the business has been a significant generator of cash, and we seek to maintain the cash-generating potential of this business by maintaining the low costs that we achieved through restructuring, and competing vigorously by using our differentiated products and services to reduce our customers’ total cost of operation and improve their paper quality. 

We believe that AEC provides the greatest growth potential, both near and long term, for our Company. Our strategy is to grow organically by focusing our proprietary technology on high-value aerospace and defense applications that cannot be served effectively by conventional composites. We

are also pursuing opportunities outside of aerospace, such as applications for the automotive industry. AEC (including Albany Safran Composites, LLC (“ASC”), in which our customer SAFRAN Group owns a 10 percent noncontrolling interest) supplies a number of customers in the aerospace industry. AEC’s largest aerospace customer is the SAFRAN Group. Through ASC, AEC develops and sells composite aerospace components to SAFRAN, with the most significant program at present being the production of fan blades and other components for the LEAP engine. AEC (through ASC and otherwise) is also developing other new and potentially significant composite products for aerospace (engine and airframe) applications.

Consolidated Results of Operations

Net sales

The following table summarizes our net sales by business segment:

Three month comparison

Six month comparison

Gross Profit

The following table summarizes gross profit by business segment:

Three month comparison

The decrease in gross profit, compared to the same period in 2014, was principally due to the net effect of the following:

The Company filed a Current Report on Form 8-K on July 10, 2015 announcing a second-quarter charge of $14.0 million associated with a revision in the profitability of a contract in the AEC segment. AEC has a long-term contract for the manufacture of composite components for the Rolls-Royce BR 725 engine (BR 725), which powers the Gulfstream G-650 business jet. These components are manufactured in AEC’s Boerne, Texas, facility. The contract for this program was signed in 2007 and contains a very aggressive approach to pricing compared to AEC’s other contracts. AEC was required to fund certain development costs for nonrecurring engineering and tooling and expected to recover those costs over the duration of the contract, which is anticipated to be more than 20 years. The deferred costs were included in Other assets on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets and, as of June 30, 2015, the Company had accumulated deferred contract expenses of approximately $10.9 million. The Company tests the recoverability of these deferred costs each quarter. During the second quarter of 2015, the Company revised its estimate of the profitability of this contract and determined that the entire balance of these deferred costs should be written off. Additionally, the Company has determined that an additional charge of approximately $3.1 million should be recorded as a provision for anticipated contract losses. The total charge of $14.0 million is included in Cost of goods sold.

Six month comparison

The decrease in gross profit, compared to the same period in 2014, was principally due to the net effect of the following:

Selling, Technical, General, and Research (STG&R)

The following table summarizes STG&R by business segment:

Three month comparison

STG&R expenses decreased $4.0 million, compared to the same period in 2014, principally due to the net effect of the following: 

Six month comparison

STG&R expenses decreased $9.6 million, compared to the same period in 2014, principally due to the net effect of the following: 

Research and Development

The following table summarizes expenses associated with internally funded research and development by business segment: