Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Boise Cascade and its subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions about future events. These estimates and the underlying assumptions affect the amounts of assets and liabilities reported, disclosures about contingent assets and liabilities, and reported amounts of revenues and expenses. Such estimates include the valuation of accounts receivable, inventories, goodwill, intangible assets, and other long-lived assets; legal contingencies; guarantee obligations; indemnifications; assumptions used in retirement benefits; stock-based compensation; income taxes; and vendor and customer rebates, among others. These estimates and assumptions are based on management's best estimates and judgment. Management evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, including the current economic environment, which management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. We adjust such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ significantly from these estimates. Changes in these estimates resulting from continuing changes in the economic environment will be reflected in the consolidated financial statements in future periods.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue when the following criteria are met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, our price to the buyer is fixed or determinable, and collectibility is reasonably assured. Delivery is not considered to have occurred until the customer takes title and assumes the risks and rewards of ownership. The timing of revenue recognition is dependent on shipping terms. Revenue is recorded at the time of shipment for terms designated free on board (fob) shipping point. For sales transactions designated fob destination, revenue is recorded when the product is delivered to the customer's delivery site.

Fees for shipping and handling charged to customers for sales transactions are included in "Sales." For our Wood Products segment, costs related to shipping and handling are included in "Materials, labor, and other operating expenses (excluding depreciation)." In our Wood Products segment, we view our shipping and handling costs as a cost of the manufacturing process and the movement of product to our end customers. For our Building Materials Distribution segment, costs related to shipping and handling of $104.8 million, $94.8 million, and $89.3 million are included primarily in "Selling and distribution expenses" for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively. In our Building Materials Distribution segment, our activities relate to the purchase and resale of finished product, and excluding shipping and handling costs from “Materials, labor, and other operating expenses (excluding depreciation)” provides us a clearer view of our operating performance and the effectiveness of our sales and purchasing functions. We present sales taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities on a net basis in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents consist of short-term investments that have a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, the majority of our cash and cash equivalents were invested in money market funds that are broadly diversified and invested in high-quality, short-duration securities, including commercial paper, certificates of deposit, U.S. government agency securities, and similar instruments. We have significant amounts of cash and cash equivalents that are in excess of federally insured limits. Though we have not experienced any losses on our cash and cash equivalents to date and we do not anticipate incurring any losses, we cannot be assured that we will not experience losses on our cash and cash equivalents.

Trade Accounts Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Trade accounts receivable are stated at the amount we expect to collect. Trade accounts receivable do not bear interest. We make ongoing estimates relating to the collectibility of our accounts receivable and maintain a reserve for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to meet their financial obligations to us. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, we had $2.1 million and $2.5 million, respectively, recorded as allowances for doubtful accounts. In determining the amount of the reserve and in order to manage credit risk, we consider our historical level of credit losses, customer concentrations, and current economic trends and monitor the creditworthiness of significant customers based on ongoing credit evaluations. Our sales are principally to customers in the building products industry located in the United States and Canada. A significant portion of our sales are concentrated with a relatively small number of customers. In 2014, our top ten customers represented approximately 28% of sales. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, receivables from a single customer accounted for approximately 11% and 13%, respectively, of total receivables. No other customer accounted for 10% or more of total receivables. Adjustments to the valuation allowance are charged to income. Trade accounts receivable balances that remain outstanding after we have used reasonable collection efforts are written off through a charge to the valuation allowance and a credit to accounts receivable. Although we have not experienced material credit losses in recent years, our actual future losses from uncollectible accounts may differ materially from our current estimates. As additional information becomes known, we may change our estimates. In the event we determine that a change in the reserve is appropriate, we will record a charge to "Selling and distribution expenses" in our Consolidated Statements of Operations in the period we make such a determination.

Fair Value

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value hierarchy under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) gives the highest priority to quoted market prices (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). In general, and where applicable, we use quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities to determine fair value (Level 1). If quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities are not available to determine fair value, we use quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities or inputs that are observable either directly or indirectly (Level 2). If quoted prices for identical or similar assets are not available or are unobservable, we may use internally developed valuation models, whose inputs include bid prices, and third-party valuations utilizing underlying asset assumptions (Level 3). See Note 7, Retirement and Benefit Plans, for the fair value measurements of our defined benefit plans' assets.

Financial Instruments

Our financial instruments are cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and long-term debt. Our cash is recorded at cost, which approximates fair value, and our cash equivalents are money market funds measured at fair value. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, we held $137.6 million and $85.8 million, respectively, in money market funds that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis using Level 1 inputs. The recorded values of accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate fair values based on their short-term nature. At December 31, 2014, the book value of our fixed-rate debt was $300.0 million, and the fair value was estimated to be $315.0 million. The difference between the book value and the fair value is derived from the difference between the period-end market interest rate and the stated rate of our fixed-rate, long-term debt. We estimated the fair value based on quoted market prices for similar traded debt (Level 2 measurement).

We are exposed to financial risks such as changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, and commodity price risk. We employ a variety of practices to manage these risks, including operating and financing activities and, where deemed appropriate, the use of derivative instruments. During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, we had no derivative instruments.

Vendor and Customer Rebates and Allowances

We receive rebates and allowances from our vendors under a number of different programs, including vendor marketing programs. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, we had $6.1 million and $4.7 million, respectively, of vendor rebates and allowances recorded in "Receivables, Other" on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Rebates and allowances received from our vendors are recognized as a reduction of "Materials, labor, and other operating expenses (excluding depreciation)" when the product is sold, unless the rebates and allowances are linked to a specific incremental cost to sell a vendor's product. Amounts received from vendors that are linked to specific selling and distribution expenses are recognized as a reduction of "Selling and distribution expenses" in the period the expense is incurred.

We also provide rebates to our customers and our customers' customers based on the volume of their purchases. We provide the rebates to increase the sell-through of our products. The rebates are recorded as a decrease in "Sales." At December 31, 2014 and 2013, we had $24.7 million and $24.2 million, respectively, of rebates payable to our customers recorded in "Accrued liabilities, Other" on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Foreign Currency

The functional currency for our operations outside the United States is the U.S. dollar. Nonmonetary assets and liabilities and related depreciation and amortization for these foreign operations are remeasured into U.S. dollars using historical exchange rates. Monetary assets and liabilities are remeasured into U.S. dollars using the exchange rates as of the Consolidated Balance Sheet date. Revenue and expense items are remeasured into U.S. dollars using an average exchange rate prevailing during the year.

Leases

We assess lease classification as either capital or operating at lease inception or upon modification. We lease a portion of our distribution centers as well as other property and equipment under operating leases. Substantially all lease agreements have fixed payment terms based on the passage of time. Some lease agreements provide us with the option to purchase the leased property. Additionally, some agreements contain renewal options generally ranging from one to ten years, with fixed payment terms similar to those in the original lease agreements. For purposes of determining straight-line rent expense, the lease term is calculated from the date we first take possession of the facility, including any periods of free rent and any renewal option periods we are reasonably assured of exercising.

Inventory Valuation

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market. Cost is based on the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method of inventory valuation or average cost. Manufactured inventories include costs for materials, labor, and factory overhead. Log inventories include costs to harvest and deliver the timber.

Inventories include the following (work in process is not material):



	December 31, 2014		December 31, 2013
	(thousands)
Finished goods and work in process	$	308,359	$	292,218
Logs	57,065		65,423
Other raw materials and supplies	29,037		25,718
	$	394,461	$	383,359

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at cost. Cost includes expenditures for major improvements and replacements and the amount of interest cost associated with significant capital additions. For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, we did not capitalize any interest. We expense all repair and maintenance costs as incurred. When property and equipment are retired, sold, or otherwise disposed of, the asset's carrying amount and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any gain or loss is included in income (loss). We use the straight-line method of depreciation.

Property and equipment consisted of the following asset classes with the following general range of estimated useful lives:



	December 31, 2014			December 31, 2013			General Range of Estimated Useful Lives in Years
	(thousands)
Land	$	36,819		$	37,345
Buildings	96,804			91,594			20	-	40
Improvements	42,699			41,372			10	-	15
Office equipment and vehicles	93,620			80,340			3	-	7
Machinery and equipment	410,633			380,456			7	-	12
Construction in progress	11,118			10,063
	691,693			641,170
Less accumulated depreciation	(323,565		)	(280,185		)
	$	368,128		$	360,985

During 2013, we acquired $85.0 million of property and equipment through the acquisition of two plywood manufacturing facilities.

Long-Lived Asset Impairment

We review long-lived assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of assets may not be recoverable. An impairment of long-lived assets exists when the carrying value is not recoverable through future undiscounted cash flows from operations and when the carrying value of an asset or asset group exceeds its fair value.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

We maintain two reporting units for purposes of our goodwill impairment testing, Wood Products and Building Materials Distribution, which are the same as our operating segments discussed in Note 15, Segment Information. We test goodwill in each of our reporting units and intangible assets with indefinite lives for impairment annually in the fourth quarter or sooner if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the asset may exceed fair value. We also evaluate the remaining useful lives of our finite-lived purchased intangible assets to determine whether any adjustments to the useful lives are necessary.

We completed our annual assessment of goodwill in fourth quarter 2014 using a qualitative approach. The qualitative goodwill impairment assessment requires evaluating factors, based on the weight of evidence, to determine whether a reporting unit's carrying value would more likely than not exceed its fair value. As part of our goodwill qualitative testing process for each reporting unit, we evaluate various factors that are specific to the reporting unit as well as industry and macroeconomic factors in order to determine whether it is reasonably likely to have a material impact on the fair value of our reporting units. Examples of the factors that were considered include the results of the most recent quantitative impairment test, current and long-term forecasted financial results, changes in the discount rate between current and prior years, and operating strategy for each reporting unit. Based on the qualitative analysis performed in 2014, we concluded that there were no changes that were reasonably likely to cause the fair value of the reporting units to be less than the reporting units' carrying value and determined that there was no impairment of our goodwill. In the event we were to determine that a reporting unit's carrying value would more likely than not exceed its fair value, quantitative testing would be performed comparing carrying values to estimated fair values.

For our intangible asset impairment testing, we use a discounted cash flow approach, based on a relief from royalty method (Level 3 measurement). This method assumes that, through ownership of trademarks and trade names, we avoid royalty expenses associated with licensing, resulting in cost savings. An estimated royalty rate, determined as a percentage of the related net sales, is used to estimate the value of the intangible assets. Based on the impairment tests of our intangible assets with indefinite lives performed in fourth quarter 2014, we determined that the fair value of our intangible assets exceeds their carrying value.

See Note 11, Goodwill and Intangible Assets, for additional information.

Asset Retirement Obligations

We recognize our asset retirement obligations in the period in which they are incurred if sufficient information is available to reasonably estimate the fair value of the obligation. Fair value estimates are determined using Level 3 inputs in the fair value hierarchy. The fair values of our asset retirement obligations are measured using expected future cash outflows discounted using the company's credit-adjusted risk-free interest rate. When we record the liability, we capitalize the cost by increasing the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset. Over time, the liability is accreted to its settlement value, and the capitalized cost is depreciated over the useful life of the related asset. Upon settlement of the liability, we will recognize a gain or loss for any difference between the settlement amount and the liability recorded.

At December 31, 2014 and 2013, we had $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively, of asset retirement obligations recorded in "Other long-term liabilities" on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. At December 31, 2014, these liabilities related primarily to landfill closure costs. The liabilities are based on the best estimate of current costs and are updated periodically to reflect current technology, laws and regulations, inflation, and other economic factors. We do not have any assets legally restricted for purposes of settling asset retirement obligations.

We have additional asset retirement obligations with indeterminate settlement dates. The fair value of these asset retirement obligations cannot be estimated due to the lack of sufficient information to estimate the settlement dates of the obligations. These asset retirement obligations include, for example, (i) removal and disposal of potentially hazardous materials on equipment and/or an operating facility if the equipment and/or facility were to undergo major maintenance, renovation, or demolition; (ii) retention ponds that may be required to be drained and/or cleaned if the related operating facility is closed; and (iii) storage sites or owned facilities for which removal and/or disposal of chemicals and other related materials are required if the operating facility is closed. We will recognize a liability in the period in which sufficient information becomes available to reasonably estimate the fair value of these obligations.

Pension Benefits

Several estimates and assumptions are required to record pension costs and liabilities, including discount rates, expected return on plan assets, expected rate of compensation increases, retirement and mortality rates, expected contributions, and other factors. We review and update these assumptions annually unless a plan curtailment or other event occurs requiring that we update the estimates on an interim basis. See Note 7, Retirement and Benefit Plans, for additional information related to our pension plan. While we believe that the assumptions used to measure our pension obligations are reasonable, differences in actual experience or changes in assumptions may materially affect our pension obligations and future expense.

Long-Term Incentive Cash Plan

In 2012, key managers participated in a long-term incentive plan (LTIP) that pays awards in cash. The LTIP provided an annual award notice to participants granting them the opportunity to earn a cash award that was based on a target percentage of the participant's base salary and the company's achievement against corporate goals, both of which were set annually. Under the LTIP, the award, if any, is paid in three equal installments due no later than March 15 of the three years following the year the award was granted with continued employment as a precondition for receipt of each award installment. We recognize compensation expense based on the probability of the performance goals being met over the vesting period. We recognized $6.7 million of LTIP expense in 2012.

Deferred Software Costs

We defer internal-use software costs that benefit future years. These costs are amortized using the straight-line method over the expected life of the software, typically three to five years. "Other assets" in the Consolidated Balance Sheets includes $4.4 million and $3.7 million, respectively, of deferred software costs at December 31, 2014 and 2013. We amortized $1.3 million of deferred software costs for each of the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, and $1.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.

Labor Concentration and Unions

As of December 31, 2014, we had approximately 5,650 employees. Approximately 26% of these employees work pursuant to collective bargaining agreements. As of December 31, 2014, we had nine collective bargaining agreements. None of our employees are working pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement that will expire within the next 12 months.

Self-Insurance

We are self-insured for certain losses related to workers' compensation and medical claims as well as general and auto liability. The expected ultimate costs for claims incurred are recognized as liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are estimated based principally on an analysis of historical claims data and estimates of claims incurred but not reported. Losses are accrued and charged to operations when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. We maintain third-party stop-loss insurance policies to cover these liability costs in excess of predetermined retained amounts. Costs related to the administration of the plans and related claims are expensed as incurred. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, self-insurance related liabilities of $7.8 million and $7.9 million were classified within "Accrued liabilities," and $10.7 million and $10.1 million were classified within "Other long-term liabilities" on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, respectively.

New and Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In June 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-12, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period. This ASU requires that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition. We adopted the provisions of this guidance on January 1, 2015, and it had no effect on our financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. This ASU requires an entity to 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 new standard is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted. The standard permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. We are evaluating the effect that this guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. We have not yet selected a transition method nor have we determined the effect of the standard on our financial statements.

There were no other accounting standards recently issued that had or are expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and associated disclosures.