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2. Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Notes  
2. Significant Accounting Policies

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Use of Estimates

 

                The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. The most significant estimates and assumptions relate to revenue recognition, inventory valuations, goodwill and intangible asset valuations, product liability costs, phantom stock and accounting for income taxes.  Actual amounts could differ significantly from these estimates.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

                The Company’s revenue recognition activities relate almost entirely to the manufacture and sale of flexible metal hose and pipe.  Under GAAP, revenues are considered to have been earned when the Company has substantially accomplished what it must do to be entitled to the benefits represented by the revenues.  The following criteria represent preconditions to the recognition of revenue:

 

·   Persuasive evidence of an arrangement for the sale of product or services must exist.

·   Delivery has occurred or services rendered.

·   The sales price to the customer is fixed or determinable.

·   Collection is reasonably assured.

 

                 The Company generally recognizes revenue upon shipment in accordance with the above principles.

 

Cash Equivalents

 

                The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of 90 days or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents include investments in an institutional money market fund, which invests in U.S. Treasury bills, notes and bonds, and/or repurchase agreements, backed by such obligations.  Carrying value approximates fair value.  Cash and cash equivalents are deposited at various area banks, which at times may exceed federally insured limits.  The Company has not experienced any losses related to these balances, and management believes its credit risk to be minimal.

 

Inventories

 

                Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market.  The cost of inventories are determined by the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method.  The Company generally considers inventory quantities beyond two-years usage, measured on a historical usage basis, to be excess inventory and reduces the gross carrying value of inventory accordingly.

 

Property and Equipment

 

                Property and equipment are carried at cost. Depreciation and amortization are computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets or, for leasehold improvements, the life of the lease, if shorter. When assets are retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in other income or expense for the period. The cost of maintenance and repairs is expensed as incurred; significant improvements are capitalized.

 

Goodwill

 

                In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 350, with respect to Goodwill, the Company does not amortize goodwill.  Instead, the Company performs annual impairment tests using the market capitalization on the last day of the year to determine the fair value of the reporting unit and then compares that value to the carrying value.  As of December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the Company concluded that goodwill was not impaired.

 

Fair Value of Financial and Nonfinancial Instruments

 

                The Company measures financial instruments in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures.  The accounting standard defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value under GAAP, and enhances disclosures about 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 on the measurement date.  Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs.  The standard creates a fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels as follows: Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly; and Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs that reflect the Company’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. The Company relies on its actively traded share value – a level 1 input – in determining the fair value of the reporting unit in its annual impairment test as described in the FASB ASC Topic 350 Goodwill and Intangibles.

 

Advertising Expense

 

                Advertising costs are charged to operations as incurred and are included in selling expenses in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.  Such charges aggregated $1,017,000 and $1,104,000, for the years ended December 31, 2012, and 2011, respectively.

 

Research and Development Expense

 

                Research and development expenses are charged to operations as incurred. Such charges aggregated $807,000, and $850,000, for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively and are included in engineering expense in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

 

Shipping Costs

 

                Shipping costs are included in selling expense on the consolidated statements of operations. The expense relating to shipping was $1,715,000 and $1,467,000 for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

 

Provision for Doubtful Accounts

 

                The allowance for doubtful accounts reflects our best estimate of probable losses inherent in the accounts receivable balance.  The Company determines the allowance based on any known collection issues, historical experience, and other currently available evidence.  The reserve for future credits, discounts, and doubtful accounts was $653,000 and $624,000 as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.  In regards to identifying uncollectible accounts, the Company reviews an aging report on a consistent basis to determine past due accounts, and utilizes a well established credit rating agency.  The Company charges off those accounts that are deemed uncollectible once all collection efforts have been exhausted.

 

Earnings per Common Share

 

                Basic earnings per share have been computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding.  For the periods presented, there are no dilutive securities.  Consequently, basic and dilutive earnings per share are the same.

 

Currency Translation

 

                Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies, most of which relate to our United Kingdom subsidiary whose functional currency is British pound sterling, are translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates prevailing on the balance sheet date.  The statements of operations are translated into U.S. dollars at average exchange rates.  Adjustments resulting from the translation of financial statements are excluded from the determination of income and are accumulated in a separate component of shareholders’ equity.  For the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, exchange gains and losses resulting from foreign currency transactions were not significant and are included in the statements of operations (other income (expense)) in the period in which they occur.

 

 

Income Taxes

 

                The Company accounts for federal tax liabilities in accordance with the FASB ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes.  Under this method the Company recorded tax expense, related deferred taxes and tax benefits, and uncertainties in tax positions.

 

                Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases.  Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.  The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities from a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.  A valuation allowance is provided for deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that these items will either expire before the Company is able to realize the benefit, or that future deductibility is uncertain.

 

                The FASB ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes clarifies the criteria that an individual tax position must satisfy for some or all of the benefits of that position to be recognized in a company’s financial statements.  This guidance prescribes a recognition threshold of more-likely than-not, and a measurement attribute for all tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return, in order for those tax positions to be recognized in the financial statements.

 

                The Company follows the provisions of ASC 740-10 relative to accounting for uncertainties in tax positions. These provisions provide guidance on the recognition, de-recognition and measurement of potential tax benefits associated with tax positions. The Company elected to recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters as a component of the income tax provision in the consolidated statements of operations. For additional information regarding ASC 740-10, see Note 8.

 

 

Other Comprehensive Loss

 

                For the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, the components of other comprehensive loss consisted solely of foreign currency translation adjustments.

 

 

Significant Concentration

 

                One customer accounted for approximately 16% of sales in 2012 and 15% in 2011.  That same customer accounted for 22% and 17% of Accounts Receivable at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.  Also, in 2012, approximately 90% of sales occurred in North America, with the remaining 10% portion scattered among other countries, but mostly pertaining to the United Kingdom, compared to 89% and 11% in 2011.

 

Subsequent Events

 

                The Company evaluates all events or transactions through the date of the related filing that may have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.  Refer to Note 13 of the consolidated financial statements.

 

New Accounting Pronouncements

 

Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2011-08, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350):  Testing Goodwill for Impairment.  In September 2011, the FASB issued guidance to amend and simplify the rules related to testing goodwill for impairment.  The revised guidance allows an entity to make an initial qualitative evaluation, based on the entity’s events and circumstances, to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount.  The results of this qualitative assessment determine whether it is necessary to perform the currently required two-step impairment test.  The amendments are effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011.  Management evaluated the impact on the consolidated financial statements as a result of adopting this guidance, and we believe it had no impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

 

ASU 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220):  Presentation of Comprehensive Income.  In June 2011, the FASB issued new accounting guidance related to the presentation of comprehensive income that eliminates the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in shareholders' equity.  The amendments require that all non-owner changes in shareholders' equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements.  The amendments do not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income or when an item of other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income.  This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011, with early adoption permitted.  The Company adopted this guidance in the quarter ended March 31, 2012.  The adoption of this guidance did not have any impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows and only impacted the presentation of other comprehensive income in the financial statements.

 

ASU 2011-11, Balance Sheet (Topic 210): Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities.  This ASU requires entities to disclose both gross information and net information about both instruments and transactions eligible for offset in the balance sheet, and instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. The requirements are effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods.  Management believes ASU 2011-11 will have no impact on the Company’s financial conditions, results of operations and cash flows for the foreseeable future.

 

ASU 2011-12, “Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05,” issued in December 2011 amends ASU 2011-05 to reflect only those changes in Update 2011-05 that relate to the presentation of reclassification adjustments.  The amendments are being made to allow FASB time to re-deliberate whether to present on the face of the financial statements the effects of reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income on the components of net income and other comprehensive income for all periods presented.  While FASB is considering the operational concerns about the presentation requirements for reclassification adjustments and the needs of financial statement users for additional information about reclassification adjustments; entities should continue to report reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income consistent with the presentation requirements in effect before Update 2011-05.  Nonpublic entities should begin applying these requirements for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2012.  Adoption of ASU 2011-12 had no material impact on the financial statements.