Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Schedule I - Condensed Financial Information of Parent (Policies)

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Schedule I - Condensed Financial Information of Parent (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Condensed Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Presentation
The Company has four uniquely positioned specialty businesses: Refining Services provides sulfuric acid recycling to the North American refining industry; Catalysts serves the packaging and engineered plastics industry and the global refining, petrochemical and emissions control industries through its Zeolyst joint venture; Performance Materials produces transportation reflective safety markings for roads and airports; and Performance Chemicals supplies diverse product end uses, including personal and industrial cleaning products, fuel-efficient tires, surface coatings, and food and beverage products.
Effective March 1, 2019, the Company changed the structure of its internal organization to create the four independent businesses described above in order to promote increased visibility to business unit performance, optimize the Company’s product portfolio and create efficiencies. Previously, the Company had two reportable segments, namely the Environmental Catalysts and Services segment and the Performance Materials and Chemicals segment. The segment results and disclosures included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the new segment structure for all periods presented. The changes to the Company’s segment structure affect only the manner in which the results of the Company’s reportable segments were previously reported; there are no changes to the Company’s consolidated balance sheet, statement of income or cash flows for the prior periods. For the purposes of the Company’s goodwill impairment testing, the four new operating segments align with the Company’s reporting units at which level goodwill has been assigned and historically tested for impairment.
Seasonal changes and weather conditions typically affect the Company’s Performance Materials and Refining Services segments. In particular, the Company’s Performance Materials segment generally experiences lower sales and profit in the first and fourth quarters of the year because highway striping projects typically occur during warmer weather months. Additionally, the Company’s Refining Services segment typically experiences similar seasonal fluctuations as a result of higher demand for gasoline products in the summer months. As a result, working capital requirements tend to be higher in the first and second quarters of the year, which can adversely affect the Company’s liquidity and cash flows. Because of this seasonality associated with certain of the Company’s segments, results for any one quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved for any other quarter or for the full year.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying condensed Parent Company financial statements are required in accordance with Rule 4-08(e)(3) of Regulation S-X. These condensed financial statements have been presented on a “parent-only” basis. Under a parent-only presentation, the Parent Company’s investment in its consolidated subsidiary is presented under the equity method of accounting. Under the equity method, the investment in subsidiary is stated at cost plus contributions and equity in undistributed income (loss) of the subsidiary, less distributions received since the date of acquisition. For purposes of presenting net income, this presentation assumes that the Parent Company was in existence for the full year ended December 31, 2016, the year of the Business Combination. These parent-only financial statements should be read in conjunction with PQ Group Holdings’ audited consolidated financial statements.