Note 2 - Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Text Block]

2. Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

The Company records all derivatives in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 815, Derivatives and Hedging, which requires all derivative instruments be reported on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value and establishes criteria for designation and effectiveness of hedging relationships. The Company is exposed to market risk such as changes in commodity prices, foreign currencies and interest rates. The Company does not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes.

Commodities

The primary objectives of the commodity risk management activities are to understand and mitigate the impact of potential price fluctuations on the Company’s financial results and its economic well-being. While the Company’s risk management objectives and strategies will be driven from an economic perspective, it attempts, where possible and practical, to ensure that the hedging strategies it engages in can be treated as “hedges” from an accounting perspective or otherwise result in accounting treatment where the earnings effect of the hedging instrument provides substantial offset (in the same period) to the earnings effect of the hedged item. Generally, these risk management transactions will involve the use of commodity derivatives to protect against exposure resulting from significant price fluctuations.

The Company primarily utilizes commodity contracts with maturities of less than eighteen months. These are intended to offset the effect of price fluctuations on actual inventory purchases. At March 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2014, the Company had three commodity contracts outstanding, covering the purchases of copper.

Because these contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting, the related gains and losses are recorded in cost of goods sold in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Net losses recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 were $726 and $326, respectively.

Foreign Currencies

The Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange risk as a result of transactions denominated in other currencies. The Company periodically utilizes foreign currency forward purchase and sales contracts to manage the volatility associated with foreign currency purchases in the normal course of business. Contracts typically have maturities of twelve months or less. As of March 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2014, the Company had four, one and two foreign currency contracts outstanding, respectively.

Because these contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting, gains and losses are recorded in cost of goods sold in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Net losses recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 were $321 and $42, respectively.

Interest Rate Swaps

On October 23, 2013, the Company entered into two interest rate swap agreements, and on May 19, 2014, the Company entered into an additional interest rate swap agreement. The Company formally documented all relationships between interest rate hedging instruments and the related hedged items, as well as its risk-management objectives and strategies for undertaking various hedge transactions. These interest rate swap agreements qualify as cash flow hedges, and accordingly, the effective portions of the gains or losses are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss (AOCL). The cash flows of the swaps are recognized as adjustments to interest expense each period. The ineffective portions of the derivatives’ changes in fair value, if any, are immediately recognized in earnings.

The following table presents the fair value of all of the Company’s derivatives:

	March 31, 2015			December 31, 2014
Commodity contracts	$	(898	)	$	(515	)
Foreign currency contracts		(321	)		(149	)
Interest rate swaps		(3,119	)		(1,045	)

The fair value of the commodity and foreign currency contracts are included in other accrued liabilities, and the fair value of the interest rate swaps are included in other long-term liabilities in the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014. Excluding the impact of credit risk, the fair value of the derivative contracts as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 is a liability of $4,392 and $1,727, respectively, which represents the amount the Company would need to pay to exit the agreements on those dates.

The amount of losses recognized in AOCL in the condensed consolidated balance sheets on the effective portion of interest rate swaps designated as hedging instruments for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was $1,272 and $500, respectively. The amount of losses recognized in cost of goods sold in the condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income for commodity and foreign currency contracts not designated as hedging instruments for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was $1,047 and $368, respectively.