XML 39 R24.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.3.1.900
Commitments, Legal Proceedings and Contingencies, and Guarantees
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments, Legal Proceedings and Contingencies, and Guarantees
Commitments, Legal Proceedings and Contingencies, and Guarantees
 
Commitments
 
We have commitments for leases and long-term debt that are discussed further in Note 5, Debt, and Note 6, Leases. In addition, we have purchase obligations for goods and services, capital expenditures, and raw materials entered into in the normal course of business.
 
We are a party to a number of long-term log and fiber supply agreements. At December 31, 2015, our total obligation for log and fiber purchases under contracts with third parties was approximately $74 million based on fixed contract pricing or first quarter 2016 pricing for variable contracts. Under certain log and fiber supply agreements, we have the right to cancel or reduce our commitments in the event of a mill curtailment or shutdown. Future purchase prices under most of the variable-price agreements will be set quarterly or semiannually based on regional market prices. Our log and fiber obligations are subject to change based on, among other things, the effect of governmental laws and regulations, our manufacturing operations not operating in the normal course of business, log and fiber availability, and the status of environmental appeals. Except for deposits required pursuant to wood supply contracts, these obligations are not recorded in our consolidated financial statements until the contract payment terms take effect.

We enter into contracts for the purchase of electricity and natural gas. We also purchase these services under utility tariffs. At December 31, 2015, we had approximately $12.9 million of energy purchase commitments. These payment obligations were valued either at market prices as of December 31, 2015, or at a fixed price, in each case in accordance with the terms of the related contract or tariff. Because we consume the energy in the manufacture of our products, these obligations represent the face value of the contracts, not resale value.

Legal Proceedings and Contingencies
 
We are a party to routine legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business. We are not currently a party to any legal proceedings or environmental claims that we believe would, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Guarantees
 
We provide guarantees, indemnifications, and assurances to others.

Boise Cascade Company and its subsidiaries (Boise Cascade Building Materials Distribution, L.L.C., and Boise Cascade Wood Products, L.L.C.) act as co-borrowers under our Revolving Credit Facility and Term Loan, described in Note 5, Debt. Their obligations are guaranteed by each of our remaining domestic subsidiaries.

Boise Cascade has issued $300.0 million of 6.375% senior notes due in 2020 (Senior Notes). At December 31, 2015, $300.0 million of the Senior Notes were outstanding. The Senior Notes are guaranteed by each of Boise Cascade Company's existing and future direct or indirect domestic subsidiaries that is a guarantor or co-borrower under our Revolving Credit Facility. See Note 5, Debt, for more information.

Boise Cascade issued guarantees to a limited number of trade creditors of one or more of its principal operating subsidiaries, Boise Cascade Building Materials Distribution, L.L.C., and Boise Cascade Wood Products, L.L.C., for trade credit obligations arising in the ordinary course of the business of such operating subsidiaries. These included guarantees of the obligations of Boise Cascade Wood Products, L.L.C., with respect to present and future log sale agreements and several facility and rolling stock leases entered into by such subsidiaries and by Boise Cascade Building Materials Distribution, L.L.C. Boise Cascade's exposure under these agreements is limited to future log purchases and the minimum lease payment requirements under the agreements. Boise Cascade also enters into guarantees of various raw material or energy supply agreements arising in the ordinary course of business.

All surety bonds and most letters of credit supporting obligations of subsidiaries sold or liabilities assumed by Boise Inc., which became a wholly-owned subsidiary of PCA, in connection with the sale of our Paper and Packaging & Newsprint assets in 2008 have been replaced by new surety bonds or letters of credit issued without our credit support. The principal exception is letters of credit supporting workers' compensation obligations assumed by Boise Inc., which as a matter of state law must remain in our name even though the underlying liabilities and exposures have been assumed by Boise Inc. We are entitled to an indemnification from the purchaser for liabilities with respect to such letters of credit arising from workers' compensation claims assumed by Boise Inc. and for our costs of maintaining Boise Inc.'s share of any such letter of credit.

We enter into a wide range of indemnification arrangements in the ordinary course of business. These include tort indemnifications, tax indemnifications, financing transactions, indemnifications against third-party claims arising out of arrangements to provide services to us, and indemnifications in merger and acquisition agreements. At December 31, 2015, we are unable to estimate the maximum potential liability under these indemnifications, and we are not aware of any material liabilities arising from these indemnifications.