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DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES  
DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES

8. DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES

Cash Flow Hedge of Interest Rate Risk

        The Company's objectives in using interest rate derivatives are to add stability to interest expense and to manage its exposure to interest rate movements. To accomplish this objective, the Company primarily uses interest rate swaps as part of its interest rate risk management strategy. Interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount.

        The effective portion of changes in the fair value of interest rate swaps designated and that qualify as cash flow hedges is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income and is subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period that the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. The Company uses its derivatives to hedge the variable cash flows associated with existing variable-rate debt. The ineffective portion of the change in fair value of the derivative is recognized directly in earnings. No hedge ineffectiveness was recognized during any of the periods presented.

        The total outstanding notional amount of cash flow hedges was $143 million as of December 31, 2011.

        Amounts reported in accumulated other comprehensive income related to the interest rate swaps are reclassified to interest expense as interest payments are accrued on the Company's variable-rate debt. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company estimates that an additional $3.7 million will be reclassified as an increase to interest expense due to the interest rate swaps since the hedge interest rate exceeds the current variable interest rate on the debt.

        The table below presents the fair value of the Company's derivative financial instrument as well as its classification on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2011 (in thousands):

 
   Liability Derivatives  
 
    
   Fair Value as of  
 
   Balance Sheet Location   December 31,
2010 		  December 31,
2011 		 

Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:

                  

Interest Rate Swaps

   Other liabilities   $ 7,687   $ 11,337  

Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments

       $ 7,687   $ 11,337  

        The table below presents the effect of the Company's derivative financial instruments on the consolidated income statements for the years December 31, 2010 and 2011 (in thousands):

Year Ended December 31,
  Derivative in Cash Flow
Hedging Relationships 		  Amount of Gain or
(Loss) Recognized
in Other
Comprehensive
Income on Derivative
(Effective Portion) 		  Location of Gain or
(Loss) Reclassified
from Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income into Income
(Effective Portion) 		  Amount of Gain or
(Loss) Reclassified
from Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income into Income
(Effective Portion) 		 

2010

   Interest Rate Swap   $ 5,625   Interest expense   $ (3,027 )

2011

   Interest Rate Swap     7,816   Interest expense     (4,172 )

Credit-risk-related Contingent Features

        The Company has agreements with its derivative counterparties that contain a provision where if the Company defaults on any of its indebtedness, including default where repayment of the indebtedness has not been accelerated by the lender, then the Company could also be declared in default on its derivative obligations.

        As of December 31, 2011, the fair value of the interest rate swaps liability position related to these agreements was $11.3 million. As of December 31, 2011, the Company has not posted any collateral related to these agreements. If the Company had breached any of these provisions at December 31, 2011, it would have been required to settle its obligations under these agreements at their termination values of $11.3 million.