Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Business

Smith-Midland Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (the “Company”) develop, manufacture, license, sell and install precast concrete products for the construction, transportation and utilities industries in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Midwestern and Southeastern regions of the United States.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Smith-Midland Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries consist of Smith-Midland Corporation, a Virginia corporation, Smith-Carolina Corporation, a North Carolina corporation, Smith-Columbia Corporation, a South Carolina corporation, Easi-Set Industries, Inc., a Virginia corporation, Concrete Safety Systems, Inc., a Virginia corporation, and Midland Advertising and Design, Inc., doing business as Midland Advertising + Design, a Virginia corporation. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all unrestricted cash and money market accounts purchased with an original or remaining maturities of three months or less as cash and cash equivalents.

Investments

Investments in marketable securities are classified as available-for-sale and are stated at market value with unrealized holding gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported as a separate component of stockholders' equity until realized.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost, using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method, or net realizable value. Inventory reserves (in thousands) were approximately $39 and $67 at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is stated at cost. Expenditures for ordinary maintenance and repairs are charged to income as incurred. Costs of betterments, renewals, and major replacements are capitalized. At the time properties are retired or otherwise disposed of, the related cost and allowance for depreciation are eliminated from the accounts and any gain or loss on disposition is reflected in income.

Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:



	Years
Buildings		10-40
Trucks and automotive equipment		3-10
Shop machinery and equipment		3-10
Land improvements		10-15
Rental equipment		5-10
Office equipment		3-10

Income Taxes

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 of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

As of December 31, 2017, the Company has not identified any uncertain tax positions. The Company files tax returns in the U.S. Federal and various state jurisdictions. The Company recognizes, when applicable, interest and penalties related to income taxes in other income (expense) in its consolidated statement of income. The Company is no longer subject to U.S. or state tax examinations for the years prior to 2014. The Company does not believe there will be any material changes in unrecognized tax positions over the next twelve months.

Stock Compensation

Stock Options – Stock based compensation is measured based on the fair value of the award on the date of grant and the corresponding expense is recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide services in exchange for the award. The fair value of each stock option is estimated using a Black-Scholes option pricing model based on certain assumptions including expected term, risk-free interest rate, stock price volatility and dividend yield. The assumption for expected term is based on evaluations of historical and expected future employee exercise behavior. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury rates at the date of grant with maturity dates approximately equal to the expected term at the grant date. The historical volatility of the Company’s stock is used as the basis for the volatility assumption. See Note 6 of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information related to stock based compensation. There have been no option grants since 2008. Substantially all options become vested and exercisable ratably, on an annual basis, over a three-year period.

Restricted Stock – On October 13, 2016, the Board of Directors of the Company adopted the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan which allows the Company to grant up to 400,000 shares of common stock of the Company to employees, officers, directors and consultants. The grants may be in the form of restricted or performance shares of common stock of the Company. The fair value of each restricted stock grant is estimated to be the sales price of the common stock at the close of business on the day of the grant.

Revenue Recognition

The Company primarily recognizes revenue on the sale of its standard precast concrete products at shipment date, including revenue derived from any projects to be completed under short-term contracts. Installation of the Company’s standard products can be performed by the customer; however, the Company will install certain products at the time of delivery and will recognize the installation revenue at that time. The installation activities are usually completed the day of delivery or the following day. In building sales, buildings can be erected on the Company’s site and delivered completely installed; or delivered by panel and erected on the job-site, typically within one day.

Leasing fees are paid at the beginning of the lease agreement and are recorded as deferred revenue. The deferred revenue is then recognized each month as lease income for the duration of the lease.

Royalties are recognized as revenue as they are earned. The Company licenses certain products to other precast companies to produce the Company's products to its engineering specifications under the licensing agreements. The agreements are typically for five year terms and require royalty payments from 4% to 6% which are paid on a monthly basis. The revenue from licensing agreements are recognized in the month earned.

Certain sales of Soundwall, architectural precast panels and Slenderwall™ concrete products revenue is recognized using the percentage-of-completion method for recording revenues on long term contracts under ASC 605-35. Percent-of-completion contracts are estimated based on the number of units produced during the period multiplied by the unit rate stated in the contract. The contracts are executed by both parties and clearly stipulate the requirements for progress payments and a schedule of delivery dates. Provisions for estimated losses on contracts are made in the period in which such losses are determined.

Shipping revenues are recognized in the period the shipping services are provided to the customer.

Smith-Midland products are typically sold pursuant to an implicit warranty as to merchantability only. Warranty claims are reviewed and resolved on a case by case method. Although the Company does incur costs for these types of expense, historically the amount of expense is minimal.

Shipping and Handling

Amounts billed to customers are recorded in sales and the costs associated with the shipping and handling are recorded as cost of goods sold.

Sales and Use Taxes

Use taxes on construction materials are reported gross in general and administrative expense.

Segment Reporting

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available and evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker, or decision making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Company currently operates in one operating and reportable business segment for financial reporting purposes.

Reclassifications

Certain minor reclassifications have been made to prior year amounts to confirm to current year presentation.

Risks and Uncertainties

The Company sells products to highway contractors operating under government funded highway programs and other customers and extends credit based on an evaluation of the customer’s financial condition, generally without requiring collateral. Exposure to losses on receivables is principally dependent on each customer’s financial condition. The Company monitors its exposure to credit losses and maintains allowances for anticipated losses. Management reviews accounts receivable on a weekly basis to determine the probability of collection. In performing this evaluation, the Company analyzes the payment history and its significant past due accounts, subsequent cash collections on these accounts and comparative accounts receivable aging statistics. Based on this information, along with other related factors, the Company develops what it considers to be a reasonable estimate of the uncollectible amounts included in accounts receivable. Management believes the allowance for doubtful accounts at December 31, 2017 is adequate. However, actual write-offs may exceed the recorded allowance. Due to inclement weather, the Company may experience reduced revenue from December through February and may realize the substantial part of its revenue during the other months of the year.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying value for each of the Company’s financial instruments (consisting of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and short-term line of credit) approximates fair value because of the short-term nature of those instruments. The estimated fair value of the long-term debt approximates carrying value based on current rates offered to the Company for debt of the similar maturities.

Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting (U.S. GAAP) principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Advertising Costs

The Company expenses all advertising costs as incurred. Advertising expense (in thousands) was approximately $404 and $401 in 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings per share are based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock and dilutive common stock equivalents outstanding. Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing income available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share reflect the potential dilution of securities that could share in earnings of the Company.

Long-Lived Assets

The Company reviews the carrying values of its long-lived and identifiable intangible assets for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of assets may not be recoverable based on undiscounted estimated future operating cash flows. When any such impairment exists, the related assets will be written down to fair value. No impairment losses have been recorded through December 31, 2017.

Recent Accounting Pronouncement

On May 28, 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic

606). Adoption of this ASU requires that an entity recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The ASU will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. The standard may be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented (full retrospective method) or retrospectively with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of initial application (modified retrospective method). The Company will adopt the new revenue guidance effective January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method. The Company is substantially complete with its evaluation of the effect that the adoption will have on its financial statements. Due to the nature of the business, the Company expects the timing of the revenue recognition to generally remain the same under the new standard. Currently, the Company anticipates the adoption will not have a material effect on the financial statements and have no cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings, except for enhanced disclosures.

On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). Adoption of this ASU

requires lessees to recognize assets and liabilities for most leases. For public business entities the guidance is effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those annual periods and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adoption on the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

On August 26, 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230),

Classification of Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which is intended to reduce diversity in practice as it relates to how certain transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows, as previous guidance was either omitted or unclear. The new standard is effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. The adoption of this pronouncement did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.