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Note 9 - Redeemable Non-controlling Interests
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Notes to Financial Statements  
Noncontrolling Interest Disclosure [Text Block]
9.
Redeemable non-controlling interests
 
The minority equity positions in the Company’s subsidiaries are referred to as redeemable non-controlling interests (“RNCI”). The RNCI are considered to be redeemable securities. Accordingly, the RNCI is recorded at the greater of (i) the redemption amount or (ii) the amount initially recorded as RNCI at the date of inception of the minority equity position. This amount is recorded in the “mezzanine” section of the balance sheet, outside of shareholders’ equity. Changes in the RNCI amount are recognized immediately as they occur. The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending RNCI amounts:
 
    2016   2015
         
Balance, January 1   $
77,559
    $
80,926
 
RNCI share of earnings    
5,238
     
4,560
 
RNCI redemption increment    
15,408
     
12,243
 
Distributions paid to RNCI    
(4,985
)    
(3,602
)
Purchases of interests from RNCI, net    
(1,057
)    
(17,817
)
RNCI recognized on business acquisitions    
10,612
     
1,696
 
Other    
(423
)    
(447
)
Balance, December 31   $
102,352
    $
77,559
 
 
The Company has shareholders’ agreements in place at each of its non-wholly owned subsidiaries. These agreements allow the Company to “call” the non-controlling interest at a price determined with the use of a formula price, which is usually equal to a fixed multiple of average annual net earnings before extraordinary items, income taxes, interest, depreciation, and amortization. The agreements also have redemption features which allow the owners of the RNCI to “put” their equity to the Company at the same price subject to certain limitations. The formula price is referred to as the redemption amount and
may
be paid in cash or in Subordinate Voting Shares. The redemption amount as of
December
31,
2016
was
$100,569
(2015
-
$76,332).
The redemption amount is lower than that recorded on the balance sheet as the formula price of certain RNCI are lower than the amount initially recorded at the inception of the minority equity position. If all put or call options were settled with Subordinate Voting Shares as at
December
31,
2016,
approximately
2,200,000
such shares would be issued, and would have resulted in an increase of
$0.48
to diluted earnings per share for the year ended
December
31,
2016.