Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

v3.24.1
Commitments and Contingencies
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
In October 2021, the Company acquired DanChem Technologies, Inc. ("DanChem"), a specialty chemical manufacturer based in Virginia. In June of 2020, DanChem received a demand letter from Henkel US Operations Corporation (“Henkel”), a former customer, asserting various claims for breach of contract alleging that product supplied by DanChem under four (4) purchase orders in 2018 and 2019 were defective and/or non-conforming and seeking approximately $315,000 in damages. DanChem responded in August 2020 disputing the claims and denying wrongdoing. Henkel was silent almost two years and then, in August 2022, sent another demand letter to DanChem asserting similar, if not identical claims, but now seeking alleged damages of approximately $3 million (with the main difference between the two demands being Henkel’s new claims for lost profits and other consequential damages). Henkel filed a lawsuit against DanChem in Connecticut state court in October 2022 seeking its newly alleged damages of approximately $3 million. The Company settled the lawsuit with Henkel during the third quarter of 2023.

In addition, from time to time, we are involved in various other legal proceedings arising from the normal course of business activities. We are not presently a party to any other such litigation the outcome of which, we believe, if determined adversely to us, would individually, or taken together, have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, cash flows, or financial condition. Defending such proceedings is costly and can impose a significant burden on management and employees. We may receive unfavorable preliminary or interim rulings in the course of litigation, and there can be no assurances that favorable final outcomes will be obtained.