16. Segment and Geographic Information The internal reporting structure used by our Chief Operating Decision Maker (CODM) to assess performance and allocate resources determines the basis for our reportable operating segments. Our CODM is our Chief Executive Officer, and he evaluates operations and allocates resources based on a measure of income from operations. Our operations are organized in two reporting segments that are aligned with key product types and end markets served:  Power Transmission Technologies. This segment includes the following key product offerings: o Couplings, Clutches &amp; Brakes. Couplings are the interface between two shafts, which enable power to be transmitted from one shaft to the other. Clutches in this segment are devices that use mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, or friction type connections to facilitate engaging or disengaging two rotating members. Brakes are combinations of interacting parts that work to slow or stop machinery. Products in this segment are generally used in heavy industrial applications and energy markets. o Electromagnetic Clutches &amp; Brakes. Products in this segment include brakes and clutches that are used to electronically slow, stop, engage or disengage equipment utilizing electromagnetic friction type connections. Products in this segment are used in industrial and commercial markets including agricultural machinery, material handling, motion control, and turf &amp; garden. o Gearing. Gears are utilized to reduce the speed and increase the torque of an electric motor or engine to the level required to drive a particular piece of equipment. Gears produced by the Company are primarily utilized in industrial applications.  Automation &amp; Specialty. Our Automation and Specialty segment consists of four key brands: o Kollmorgen: Provides rotary precision motion solutions, including servo motors, stepper motors, high performance electronic drives and motion controllers and related software, and precision linear actuators. These products are used in advanced material handling, aerospace and defense, factory automation, medical, packaging, printing, semiconductor, robotic and other applications. o Portescap: Provides high-efficiency miniature motors and motion control products, including brush and brushless DC motors, can stack motors and disc magnet motors. These products are used in medical, industrial power tool and general industrial equipment applications. o Thomson: Provides systems that enable and support the transition of rotary motion to linear motion. Products include linear bearings, guides, glides, lead and ball screws, industrial linear actuators, clutch brakes, precision gears, resolvers and inductors. These products are used in factory automation, medical, mobile off-highway, material handling, food processing and other niche applications. o Jacobs Vehicle Systems (JVS): Provides heavy-duty diesel engine brake systems and valve actuation mechanisms for the commercial vehicle market, including compression release, bleeder and exhaust brakes, including the Jake Brake engine braking system. These products are primarily used in heavy duty Class 8 truck applications. The segment information presented below for the prior periods has been reclassified to conform to the new presentation. Segment financial information and a reconciliation of segment results to consolidated results follows: Year Ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 Net Sales: Power Transmission Technologies $ 935,019 $ 876,737 $ 708,906 Automation &amp; Specialty 241,710   Inter-segment eliminations (1,387 )   Net sales $ 1,175,342 $ 876,737 $ 708,906 Income from operations: Segment earnings: Power Transmission Technologies 118,181 97,227 70,065 Automation &amp; Specialty 27,905   Corporate (54,960 ) (10,377 ) (12,670 ) Restructuring and consolidation costs (4,449 ) (4,143 ) (9,849 ) Income from operations 86,677 82,707 47,546 Other non-operating (income) expense: Loss on partial settlement of pension plan 5,086 1,720  Net interest expense 28,601 7,710 11,679 Loss on extinguishment of convertible debt 1,247 1,797 1,989 Other non-operating expense (income), net (5 ) 353 (7 ) 34,929 11,580 13,661 Income before income taxes 51,748 71,127 33,885 Provision for income taxes 16,407 19,700 8,745 Net income $ 35,341 $ 51,427 $ 25,140 (1) Certain expenses are maintained at the corporate level and not allocated to the segments. These include various administrative expenses related to the corporate headquarters, depreciation on capitalized software costs, non-capitalizable software implementation costs, acquisition related expenses and impairment of intangibles. Selected information by segment (continued) Years Ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 Depreciation and amortization: Power Transmission Technologies $ 33,802 $ 32,721 $ 26,795 Automation &amp; Specialty 22,876   Corporate 3,348 3,304 3,103 Total depreciation and amortization $ 60,026 $ 36,025 $ 29,898 Years Ended December 31, 2018 2017 Total assets: Power Transmission Technologies $ 1,078,503 $ 886,476 Automation &amp; Specialty 3,147,807  Corporate 110,933 34,181 Total assets $ 4,337,243 $ 920,657 (2) Corporate assets are primarily cash and cash equivalents, tax related asset accounts, certain capitalized software costs, property, plant and equipment and deferred financing costs. Net Sales Property, Plant and Equipment Years Ended December 31, Years Ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 2018 2017 North America (primarily U.S.) $ 629,029 $ 441,208 $ 418,536 $ 206,090 $ 84,337 Europe excluding Germany 208,834 159,509 124,961 54,757 41,766 Germany 204,001 182,148 92,775 66,405 58,967 Asia and other 133,478 93,872 72,634 37,181 6,848 Total $ 1,175,342 $ 876,737 $ 708,906 $ 364,433 $ 191,918 Net sales to third parties are attributed to the geographic regions based on the country in which the shipment originates. Amounts attributed to the geographic regions for property, plant and equipment are based on the location of the entity, which holds such assets.