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 (GAAP) 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, medical, and workers' compensation benefits; stock-based compensation; fair value measurements; 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

Revenues are recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to our customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. For additional information regarding our revenue recognition policies, see Note 3, Revenues.

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, 2018 and 2017, 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, 2018 and 2017, we had $1.1 million and $0.9 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 U.S. and Canada. A significant portion of our sales are concentrated with a relatively small number of customers. In 2018, our top ten customers represented approximately 37% of sales, with no customer accounting for 10% or more of total sales. At December 31, 2018, receivables from two customers accounted for approximately 13% and 11% of total receivables. At December 31, 2017, receivables from these two customers accounted for approximately 15% and 12% 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 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 12, 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, long-term debt, and interest rate swaps. Our cash is recorded at cost, which approximates fair value, and our cash equivalents are money market funds. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, we held $160.4 million and $137.5 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, 2018 and 2017, the book value of our fixed-rate debt for each period was $350.0 million, and the fair value was estimated to be $328.1 million and $369.3 million, respectively. 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 of our fixed-rate debt using quoted market prices of our debt in inactive markets (Level 2 inputs). The interest rate on our term loans is based on market conditions such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or a base rate. Because the interest rate on the term loans is based on current market conditions, we believe that the estimated fair value of the outstanding balance on our term loans approximates book value.

We are exposed to financial risks such as changes in commodity prices, interest rates, and foreign currency exchange rates. We employ a variety of practices to manage these risks, including operating and financing activities and, where deemed appropriate, the use of derivative instruments. As discussed in Note 16, Financial Instrument Risk, we use interest rate swaps to mitigate our variable interest rate exposure, the fair value of which is measured based on Level 2 inputs.

Vendor Rebates and Allowances

We receive rebates and allowances from our vendors under a number of different programs, including vendor marketing programs. At December 31, 2018 and 2017, we had $9.7 million and $6.7 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.

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. We also lease certain distribution centers recorded as capital 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.

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards, as measured using enacted tax rates expected to be in effect in the periods where temporary differences are expected to be realized 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.

We recognize deferred tax assets to the extent that we believe that these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. If we determine that we would be unable to realize our deferred tax assets in the future, we would make an adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would increase the provision for income taxes.

We review and update our tax positions as necessary to add any new uncertain tax positions taken, or to remove previously identified uncertain positions that have been adequately resolved. Additionally, uncertain positions may be remeasured as warranted by changes in facts or law. Accounting for uncertain tax positions requires estimating the amount, timing and likelihood of ultimate settlement. Although we believe that these estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ from these estimates.

Inventory Valuation

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is based on the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method of inventory valuation or average cost. Wholesale distribution inventories include costs incurred in bringing inventory to its existing location. Manufactured inventories include costs for materials, labor, and factory overhead. Log inventories include costs to harvest and deliver the logs.

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



	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
	(thousands)
Finished goods and work in process	$	441,774	$	377,266
Logs	54,301		57,229
Other raw materials and supplies	36,974		42,178
	$	533,049	$	476,673

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, 2018, 2017, and 2016, an insignificant amount of interest was capitalized. 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, 2018 (a)			December 31, 2017			General Range of Estimated Useful Lives in Years
	(thousands)
Land	$	38,888		$	38,606
Buildings (b)	164,878			144,404			20	-	40
Improvements	49,509			55,267			10	-	15
Mobile equipment, information technology, and office furniture	150,712			138,245			3	-	7
Machinery and equipment	629,337			659,708			7	-	12
Construction in progress	31,015			23,303
	1,064,339			1,059,533
Less accumulated depreciation	(577,115		)	(493,741		)
	$	487,224		$	565,792

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(a)	The following activity impacted property and equipment during 2018:


•	On November 2, 2018, we closed on the sale of two lumber mills and a particleboard plant, and related property and equipment, located in Northeast Oregon. For more information, see Note 7, Sale of Manufacturing Facilities.


•	We recorded $55.0 million of accelerated depreciation to fully depreciate the curtailed LVL production assets at our Roxboro, North Carolina facility during fourth quarter 2018. For more information, see Note 6, Curtailment of Manufacturing Facility.


•	As of December 31, 2018, property and equipment at our hardwood plywood facility in Moncure, North Carolina, has been classified as assets held for sale and excluded from these property and equipment balances. For more information, see Note 7, Sale of Manufacturing Facilities.


(b)	Capital lease assets are included in the "Buildings" asset class.

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. For a description of the impairment losses recorded during the year ended December 31, 2018, see Note 7, Sale of Manufacturing Facilities.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Impairment

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 17, 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 2018 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. Based on the qualitative analysis performed in 2018, 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. See Note 9, 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, 2018 and 2017, we had $2.1 million and $1.1 million, respectively, of asset retirement obligations recorded in "Other long-term liabilities" on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. At December 31, 2018, these liabilities related primarily to a waste treatment pond and 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 12, 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.

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 $4.6 million and $5.7 million, respectively, of deferred software costs at December 31, 2018 and 2017. We amortized $2.0 million of deferred software costs for both of the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017. During the year ended December 31, 2016, we amortized $2.1 million of deferred software costs.

Labor Concentration and Unions

As of December 31, 2018, we had approximately 6,220 employees. Approximately 22% of these employees work pursuant to collective bargaining agreements. As of December 31, 2018, we had nine collective bargaining agreements. The agreement covering approximately 96 employees at our Canadian EWP facility expired on December 31, 2017, but has been extended indefinitely pending negotiations. During the course of negotiations, if this agreement is not renewed or extended upon its termination, we could experience a material labor disruption or significantly increased labor costs, which could prevent us from meeting customer demand or reduce our sales and profitability.

Self-Insurance

We are self-insured for certain losses related to workers' compensation and medical claims, general and auto liability, as well as property and business interruption losses. 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, 2018 and 2017, self-insurance related liabilities of $10.0 million and $9.6 million, respectively, were classified within "Accrued liabilities," and $9.5 million and $10.2 million, respectively, were classified within "Other long-term liabilities" on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

New and Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2018-15, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. This ASU provides guidance on implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement (CCA) that is a service contract. The guidance aligns the accounting for such costs with the guidance on capitalizing costs associated with developing or obtaining internal-use software. Specifically, the ASU amends ASC 350 to include in its scope implementation costs of a CCA that is a service contract and clarifies that a customer should apply ASC 350-40 to determine which implementation costs should be capitalized in such a CCA. The updated guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The amendments should be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. We currently do not expect the adoption of the guidance to have a material effect on our financial statements, but will continue to monitor the standard through the effective date.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-14, Compensation - Retirement Benefits - Defined Benefit Plans - General (Topic 715-20): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans. This ASU amends ASC 715 to remove disclosures that are no longer considered cost beneficial, clarifies the specific requirements of disclosures, and adds disclosure requirements identified as relevant related to defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans. The ASU's changes related to disclosures are part of the FASB's disclosure framework project. The updated guidance is effective retrospectively for annual reporting periods ending after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the effects of this ASU on our disclosures in the notes to our financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. This ASU amends ASC 820 to remove disclosures that are no longer considered cost beneficial, clarifies the specific requirements of disclosures, and adds disclosure requirements identified as relevant related to recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements. The ASU's changes related to disclosures are part of the FASB's disclosure framework project. The updated guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. We currently do not expect the adoption of the guidance to have a material effect on our financial statements, but will continue to monitor the standard through the effective date.

In March 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-05, Income Taxes (Topic 740), Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118. The amendments in this ASU add various Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) paragraphs pursuant to the issuance of SEC Accounting Bulletin No. 118, Income Tax Accounting Implications of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Tax Act) (SAB 118). The SEC issued SAB 118 to address concerns about reporting entities' ability to timely comply with the accounting requirements to recognize all of the effects of the Tax Act in the period of enactment. SAB 118 allows disclosure that timely determination of some or all of the income tax effects from the Tax Act are incomplete by the due date of the financial statements and, if possible, to provide a reasonable estimate. See Note 4, Income Taxes, for our assessment of the income tax effects of the Tax Act.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. This ASU permits entities to reclassify stranded tax effects in accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings as a result of the Tax Act enacted by the U.S. federal government on December 22, 2017. We adopted ASU 2018-02 as of December 31, 2018. We elected not to reclassify tax effects stranded in "Accumulated other comprehensive loss" to "Retained earnings" as a result of the Tax Act.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Compensation—Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost. This ASU requires entities to present the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost in the same income statement line item(s) as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period. The other components of net periodic benefit cost must be presented elsewhere in the income statement and outside of income from operations if that subtotal is presented. Entities will have to disclose the line(s) used to present the other components of net periodic benefit cost if the components are not presented separately in the income statement. The guidance on the income statement presentation of the components of net periodic benefit cost must be applied retrospectively. We adopted the standard in first quarter 2018, which resulted in a change in our income from operations in an amount equal to the other components of net periodic pension cost, which was offset by a corresponding change outside of income from operations. The amount recorded outside of income from operations is presented in "Pension expense (excluding service costs)" in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. The components of net periodic cost are shown in Note 12, Retirement and Benefit Plans.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). This amendment requires a lessee to recognize a right-of-use (ROU) asset and an associated lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases (whether operating or finance leases) with a term longer than 12 months. For leases defined as finance leases under the new standard, the lessee subsequently recognizes interest expense and amortization of the ROU asset, similar to accounting for capital leases under current GAAP. For leases defined as operating leases under the new standard, the lessee subsequently recognizes straight-line lease expense over the life of the lease. This new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The guidance is to be applied using a modified retrospective transition method. An entity may choose to use either its effective date or the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements as its date of initial application. We adopted the new standard on January 1, 2019 and used the effective date as our date of initial application. Consequently, financial information will not be updated and the disclosures required under the new standard will not be provided for dates and periods before January 1, 2019.

The new standard provides a number of optional practical expedients in transition. We elected the ‘package of practical expedients’, which permits us not to reassess under the new standard our prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification, and initial direct costs. We did not elect the use-of-hindsight. The new standard also provides practical expedients for an entity’s ongoing accounting. We elected the short-term lease recognition exemption for all leases that qualify. This means, for those leases that qualify, we will not recognize ROU assets or lease liabilities, and this includes not recognizing ROU assets or lease liabilities for existing short-term leases of those assets in transition. We also elected the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components for all of our leases.

We expect to record additional lease liabilities for operating leases of approximately $72 million, with an offsetting increase to ROU assets of approximately $69 million as of the date of adoption, substantially all of which are real estate leases. The difference between these amounts is a result of reclassification of accrued rent upon adoption. The standard will not materially affect our consolidated statement of operations. We are in the process of implementing changes to our systems and control processes in conjunction with our implementation and anticipate these changes will go into effect when we adopt this standard. We are also in the process of evaluating the impact on our lease disclosures, but anticipate additional required disclosure. We will continue to monitor potential changes to Topic 842 that have been proposed by the FASB and assess any necessary changes to the implementation process as the guidance is updated.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). This ASU replaced most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it became effective and 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 guidance also requires additional disclosure to help users of financial statements better understand the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue that is recognized. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018. See Note 3, Revenues, for the impact of this standard on our revenue recognition practices and additional required qualitative disclosures of our revenue recognition policies.

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.

Reclassifications

Certain amounts in prior years' consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform with current year's presentation, none of which were considered material.