GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 28, 2015

(3) GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Amortized Intangible Assets

The components of amortized intangible assets at March 28, 2015 and December 27, 2014 were as follows:

	March 28, 2015
	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Weighted Average Life
Customer Relationships	$	201,990	$	90,546		13 years
Proprietary Software & Database		3,680		2,954		8 years
Patents & Proprietary Technology		12,109		8,712		8 years
Other		3,997		3,216		3 years

	$	221,776	$	105,428

	December 27, 2014
	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Weighted Average Life
Customer Relationships	$	207,509	$	88,538		13 years
Proprietary Software & Database		3,769		2,977		8 years
Patents & Proprietary Technology		12,394		8,537		8 years
Other		4,355		2,998		3 years

	$	228,027	$	103,050

Amortization expense for intangible assets for the thirteen weeks ended March 28, 2015 and March 29, 2014, respectively was as follows:

Thirteen Weeks Ended
2015	2014
$4,913	$	4,103

Estimated annual amortization expense related to finite-lived intangible assets is as follows:

	Estimated Amortization Expense
2015	$	17,039
2016		16,607
2017		15,871
2018		14,227
2019		13,423

The useful lives assigned to finite-lived intangible assets included consideration of factors such as the Company's past and expected experience related to customer retention rates, the remaining legal or contractual life of the underlying arrangement that resulted in the recognition of the intangible asset and the Company's expected use of the intangible asset.

Non-amortized intangible assets

Intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized. The carrying values of trade names at March 28, 2015 and December 27, 2014 were as follows:

	March 28, 2015		December 27, 2014		Year Acquired
Webforge	$	16,052	$	16,801		2010
Valmont SM		9,043		10,818		2014
Newmark		11,111		11,111		2004
Ingal EPS/Ingal Civil Products		8,472		8,867		2010
Donhad		6,391		6,689		2010
Shakespeare		4,000		4,000		2014
Industrial Galvanizers		3,716		3,889		2010
Other		14,257		14,852

	$	73,042	$	77,027

In its determination of these intangible assets as indefinite-lived, the Company considered such factors as its expected future use of the intangible asset, legal, regulatory, technological and competitive factors that may impact the useful life or value of the intangible asset and the expected costs to maintain the value of the intangible asset. The Company expects that these intangible assets will maintain their value indefinitely. Accordingly, these assets are not amortized.

The Company's trade names were tested for impairment in the third quarter of 2014. The values of the trade names were determined using the relief-from-royalty method. Based on this evaluation, the Company determined that its trade names were not impaired.

Goodwill

The carrying amount of goodwill by segment as of March 28, 2015 and December 27, 2014 was as follows:

	Engineered Infrastructure Products Segment			Utility Support Structures Segment		Coatings Segment			Irrigation Segment			Other			Total
Balance at December 27, 2014	$	197,074		$	75,404	$	74,862		$	19,536		$	18,235		$	385,111
Foreign currency translation		(8,654	)		—		(1,667	)		(89	)		(813	)		(11,223	)

Balance at March 28, 2015	$	188,420		$	75,404	$	73,195		$	19,447		$	17,422		$	373,888

The Company's goodwill was tested for impairment during the third quarter of 2014. As a result of that testing, the Company determined that its goodwill was not impaired, as the valuation of the reporting units exceeded their respective carrying values. The Company continues to monitor changes in the global economy that could impact future operating results of its reporting units. If such conditions arise, the Company will test a given reporting unit for impairment prior to the annual test.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the aggregate amount of goodwill and a description of intangible assets, which may include (a) for amortizable intangible assets (also referred to as finite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, the amount of any significant residual value, and the weighted-average amortization period, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization (also referred to as indefinite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, and (c) the amount of research and development assets acquired and written off in the period, including the line item in the income statement in which the amounts written off are aggregated, if not readily apparent from the income statement. Also discloses (a) for amortizable intangibles assets in total and by major class, the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization, the total amortization expense for the period, and the estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization the carrying amount in total and by major class, and (c) for goodwill, in total and for each reportable segment, the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the period (including the aggregate amount of goodwill acquired, the aggregate amount of impairment losses recognized, and the amount of goodwill included in the gain (loss) on disposal of a reporting unit). If any part of goodwill has not been allocated to a reportable segment, discloses the unallocated amount and the reasons for not allocating. For each impairment loss recognized related to an intangible asset (excluding goodwill), discloses: (a) a description of the impaired intangible asset and the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method for determining fair value, (c) the caption in the income statement or the statement of activities in which the impairment loss is aggregated, and (d) the segment in which the impaired intangible asset is reported. For each goodwill impairment loss recognized, discloses: (a) a description of the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method of determining the fair value of the associated reporting unit, and (c) if a recognized impairment loss is an estimate not finalized and the reasons why the estimate is not final. May also disclose the nature and amount of any significant adjustments made to a previous estimate of an impairment loss.

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