Summary of Significant Accounting Principles

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Management’s estimates, judgments and assumptions are continually evaluated based on available information and experience; however, actual amounts could differ from those estimates. The Company’s significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the 2011 Form 10-K.

On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates the significant accounting policies used to prepare its condensed consolidated financial statements, including, but not limited to, those related to:


•	Revenue recognition from construction contracts;


•	Allowance for doubtful accounts;


•	Testing of goodwill and other long-lived assets for possible impairment;


•	Income taxes;


•	Self-insurance; and


•	Stock based compensation.

Revenue Recognition

The Company records revenue on construction contracts for financial statement purposes using the percentage-of-completion method, measured by the percentage of contract costs incurred to date to total estimated costs for each contract. This method is used because management considers contract costs incurred to be the best available measure of progress on these contracts. The Company follows the guidance of ASC 605-35 – Revenue Recognition, Construction-Type and Production-Type Contracts, for its accounting policy relating to the use of the percentage-of-completion method, estimated costs and claim recognition for construction contracts. Changes in job performance, job conditions and estimated profitability, including those arising from final contract settlements, may result in revisions to costs and revenues and are recognized in the period in which the revisions are determined. Provisions for estimated losses on uncompleted contracts are made in the period in which such losses are determined. Revenue is recorded net of any sales taxes collected and paid on behalf of the customer, if applicable.

The current asset “costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts” represents revenues recognized in excess of amounts billed, which management believes will be billed and collected within one year of the completion of the contract. The liability “billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts” represents billings in excess of revenues recognized.

The Company’s projects are typically short in duration, and usually span a period of three to nine months. Historically, we have not combined or segmented contracts.

Classification of Current Assets and Liabilities

The Company includes in current assets and liabilities amounts realizable and payable in the normal course of contract completion.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. At times, cash held by financial institutions may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not historically sustained losses on our cash balances in excess of federally insured limits. Cash equivalents at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 consisted primarily of money market mutual funds and overnight bank deposits.

Risk Concentrations

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk principally consist of cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable.

The Company depends on its ability to continue to obtain federal, state and local governmental contracts, and indirectly, on the amount of funding available to these agencies for new and current governmental projects. Therefore, a substantial portion of the Company’s operations may be dependent upon the level and timing of government funding. Statutory mechanics liens provide the Company high priority in the event of lien foreclosures following financial difficulties of private owners, thus minimizing credit risk with private customers.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are stated at the historical carrying value, less write-offs and allowances for doubtful accounts. The Company writes off uncollectible accounts receivable against the allowance for doubtful accounts if it is determined that the amounts will not be collected or if a settlement is reached for an amount that is less than the carrying value. As of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the Company had not recorded an allowance for doubtful accounts.

Balances billed to customers but not paid pursuant to retainage provisions in construction contracts generally become payable upon contract completion and acceptance by the owner. Retention at September 30, 2012 totaled $7.7 million, of which $5.3 million is expected to be collected beyond 2012. Retention at December 31, 2011 totaled $6.0 million.

Fair Value Measurements

We evaluate and present certain amounts included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements at “fair value” in accordance with GAAP, which requires us to base our estimates on assumptions market participants, in an orderly transaction, would use to price an asset or liability, and to establish a hierarchy that prioritizes the information used to determine fair value. In measuring fair value, we use the following inputs in the order of priority indicated:

Level I – Quoted prices in active markets for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities.

Level II – Observable inputs other than Level I prices, such as (i) quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; (ii) quoted prices in markets that have insufficient volume or infrequent transactions; and (iii) inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level III – Unobservable inputs to the valuation methodology that are significant to the fair value measurement.

We generally apply fair value valuation techniques on a non-recurring basis associated with (1) valuing assets and liabilities acquired in connection with business combinations and other transactions; (2) valuing potential impairment loss related to long-lived assets; and (3) valuing potential impairment loss related to goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets.

Income Taxes

The Company determines its consolidated income tax provision using the asset and liability method prescribed by US GAAP, which requires the recognition of income tax expense for the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current period and for deferred tax liabilities and assets for the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in an entity’s financial statements or tax returns. The Company accounts for any uncertain tax positions in accordance with the provisions of ASC 740-10, Income Taxes, which prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for financial statement disclosure of tax positions taken, or expected to be taken, on our consolidated tax return. The Company had not recorded a liability for uncertain tax positions at December 31, 2011 or September 30, 2012.

Insurance Coverage

The Company maintains insurance coverage for its business and operations. Insurance related to property, equipment, automobile, general liability, and a portion of workers' compensation is provided through traditional policies, subject to a deductible or deductibles. A portion of the Company's workers’ compensation exposure is covered through a mutual association, which is subject to supplemental calls.

The Company maintains two levels of excess loss insurance coverage, totaling $100 million in excess of primary coverage. The Company’s excess loss coverage responds to most of its liability policies when a primary limit of $1 million has been exhausted; provided that the primary limit for Maritime Employer’s Liability is $10 million and the Watercraft Pollution Policy primary limit is $5 million.

Separately, the Company’s employee health care is provided through a trust, administered by a third party. The Company funds the trust based on current claims. The administrator has purchased appropriate stop-loss coverage. Losses on these policies up to the deductible amounts are accrued based upon known claims incurred and an estimate of claims incurred but not reported. The accruals are derived from known facts, historical trends and industry averages to determine the best estimate of the ultimate expected loss. Actual claims may vary from our estimate. We include any adjustments to such reserves in our consolidated results of operations in the period in which they become known.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes compensation expense for equity awards over the vesting period based on the fair value of these awards at the date of grant. The computed fair value of these awards is recognized as a non-cash cost over the period the employee provides services, which is typically the vesting period of the award. The fair value of options granted is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of restricted stock grants is equivalent to the fair value of the stock issued on the date of grant.

Compensation expense is recognized only for share-based payments expected to vest. The Company estimates forfeitures at the date of grant based on historical experience and future expectations.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill

The Company has acquired businesses and assets in purchase transactions that resulted in the recognition of goodwill. Goodwill represents the costs in excess of fair values assigned to the underlying net assets in the acquisition. In accordance with U.S. GAAP, acquired goodwill is not amortized, but is subject to impairment testing at least annually or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate that the asset more likely than not may be impaired. New accounting guidance was recently issued that will allow the Company to qualitatively assess the likelihood that the carrying value of its reporting units is less than fair value in lieu of, or prior to, performance of step one of the impairment test process.

Intangible assets

Intangible assets that have finite lives continue to be subject to amortization. In addition, the Company must evaluate the remaining useful life in each reporting period to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision of the remaining period of amortization. If the estimate of an intangible asset’s remaining life is changed, the remaining carrying value of such asset is amortized prospectively over that revised remaining useful life.