Note 18 - Retirement Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Pension and Other Postretirement Plans, Policy [Policy Text Block]

18.   Retirement Plans:

The Company’s retirement plans consist of a 401(k) plan covering certain non-union employees, two separate 401(k) plans covering all union employees, a profit sharing plan, a multi-employer pension plan covering certain CTI employees and a supplemental executive retirement plan (SERP) covering certain executive officers of the Company.

The 401(k) retirement plans allow eligible employees to contribute up to the statutory maximum.  The Company’s non-union 401(k) matching contribution is determined annually by the Board of Directors and is based on a percentage of eligible employees’ earnings and contributions.  For the non-union 401(k) retirement plan, the Company matched one-half of each eligible employee’s contribution, limited to the first 6% of eligible compensation.  The Company’s non-union 401(k) matching contribution was suspended on April 1, 2009.  The Company contribution to the Minneapolis plate facility union was suspended on April 1, 2009, the Company contribution to the Detroit facility union was suspended on October 1, 2009 and the Company contribution to the Minneapolis coil facility union was suspended on October 1, 2010.  All of the Company’s 401(k) matching contributions were reinstated on January 1, 2011.

For the 401(k) retirement plan at our CTI locations, the Company matched one-half of each eligible employee’s first 3% of eligible compensation and 20% of the next 3% of eligible compensation.

All union employees now participate in the profit-sharing plan on a discretionary basis, like all non-union employees.  Company contributions to the non-union profit-sharing plan are discretionary amounts as determined annually by the Board of Directors.

In 2005, the Board of Directors adopted the SERP.  Contributions to the SERP are based on:  (i) a portion of the participants’ compensation multiplied by 13%; and (ii) for certain participants a portion of the participants’ compensation multiplied by a factor which is contingent upon the Company’s return on invested capital.  Benefits are subject to a vesting schedule of up to five years.

The Company, through its CTI subsidiary, contributes to one multiemployer pension plan – the Plumbing and Heating Wholesalers Retirement Income Plan for the Benefit of the Shopmen’s Division of Pipe Fitters’ Association Local Union 597, EIN 36-6511016, Plan Number 001 (the Multiemployer Plan).  The risks of participating in the Multiemployer Plan are different from a single-employer plan in that 1) assets contributed to the multiemployer plan by one employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers, 2) if a participating employer stops contributing to the plan, the unfunded obligations of the plan may be borne by the remaining participating employers, and 3) if CTI chooses to stop participating in the Multiemployer Plan, CTI may be required to pay the plan an amount based on the unfunded status of the plan, referred to as a withdrawal liability.

The most recent Pension Protection Act zone status available is for the plan year beginning January 1, 2012, and the Multiemployer Plan’s actuary has certified that the Multiemployer Plan is neither in critical status nor endangered status; it is in the green zone.  The zone status is based on information that CTI received from the Multiemployer Plan and is certified by the Multiemployer Plan’s actuary.  Among other factors, plans in the green zone are at least 80 percent funded.

CTI contributes to the Multiemployer Plan under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement that covers certain of its union employees, and which expires May 31, 2015.  CTI contributions to the Multiemployer Plan were immaterial for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Retirement plan expense, which includes all Company 401(k), profit-sharing, SERP defined contributions and the Multiemployer Plan, amounted to $2,064, $2,512 and $506 for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.