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Note 4 - Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Notes to Financial Statements  
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Text Block]
4.     Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities
 
 
Commodities
 
The Company is exposed to significant price fluctuations in commodities it uses as raw materials, and periodically utilizes commodity derivatives to mitigate the impact of these potential price fluctuations on its financial results and its economic well-being. These derivatives typically have maturities of less than eighteen months. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had one and three commodity contracts outstanding, respectively, 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 consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Net losses recognized were $1,909, $629 and $605 for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, 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 certain foreign currency purchases in the normal course of business. Contracts typically have maturities of twelve months or less. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had six foreign currency contracts outstanding.
 
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 consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Net losses recognized for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 were $624, $149 and $56, respectively.
 
Interest Rate Swaps
 
As of May 30, 2012, the Company had four interest rate swap agreements outstanding. Due to the incorporation of a new interest rate floor provision in the then new credit agreement, which constituted a change in critical terms, the Company concluded that as of May 30, 2012, the then outstanding swaps would no longer be highly effective in achieving offsetting changes in cash flows during the periods the hedges were designated. As a result, the Company was required to de-designate the four outstanding hedges as of May 30, 2012. Beginning May 31, 2012, the effective portion of the swaps prior to the change (i.e. amounts previously recorded in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (AOCL)) were amortized into interest expense over the period of the originally designated hedged transactions which had various termination dates through October 2013. The amount reclassified from AOCL to interest expense on the consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the year ended December 31, 2013 was a loss of $2,381. Future changes in fair value of these swaps were immediately recognized in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income as interest expense, which was a gain of $2,973 for the year ended December 31, 2013.
 
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 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.
 
Fair Value
 
The following table presents the fair value of the Company’s derivatives:
 
 
 
December 31
,
201
5
 
 
December 31,
201
4
 
Commodity contracts
   $ (400 )   $ (515 )
Foreign currency contracts
     (171 )     (149 )
Interest rate swaps
     (2,618 )     (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 is included in other long-term liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2015 and 2014. Excluding the impact of credit risk, the fair value of the derivative contracts as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 is a liability of $3,248 and $1,727, respectively, which represents the amount the Company would need to pay to exit the agreements on those dates.
 
The amount of gains (losses) recognized in AOCL in the consolidated balance sheets on the effective portion of interest rate swaps designated as hedging instruments for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 were $(965), $(1,420) and $774, respectively. The amount of losses recognized in cost of goods sold in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income for commodity and foreign currency contracts not designated as hedging instruments for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 were $2,533, $778 and $661, respectively.