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Note 13 - Variable Interest Entities ("VIE") and Transactions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Notes to Financial Statements  
Variable Interest Entity Disclosure [Text Block]
13.
Variable Interest Entities (“VIE”) and Transactions
 
During
2010,
two
entities owned by
officers and/or principal shareholders of the Company (John H. Schwan and Stephen M. Merrick) provided financing for Flexo Universal, the Company’s Mexico subsidiary, for the acquisition and construction of latex balloon production and related equipment. The entities included Venture Leasing L.L.C., (“VLUS”), an Illinois limited liability company which is
100%
owned by an entity owned by Mr. Schwan and Mr. Merrick, and Venture Leasing Mexico S. A. de R. L (“VLM”), a Mexico company which is also owned
100%
by entities owned by Mr. Schwan and Mr. Merrick. The Company is the primary beneficiary of VLUS & VLM and accordingly consolidated the result of the entities in its financial statements.
 
Mr. Schwan and Mr. Merrick, through entities owned by them, arranged for a line of credit in the amount of
$1,000,000
from Barrington Bank in order to loan monies to VLUS as needed. During
2010,
VLUS received advances on this line totaling
$700,000.
VLUS loaned substantially all of these funds to VLM. VLM utilized the funds to purchase materials, parts, components and services for the acquisition and construction of balloon production and related equipment to be placed at the premises of Flexo Universal. Assembly and construction of this equipment was completed on or about
December 31, 2010
and, in
January 2011,
the equipment
was placed in service at Flexo Universal.
 
Title to the equipment remained
in the name of VLM. VLM leased the equipment to Flexo Universal under a lease in which Flexo Universal paid to VLM rental payments at the rate of approximately
$9,000
per month and had the right to purchase the equipment from VLM at the expiration of the lease at fair market value. The Company has
not
provided any guarantees related to VLUS or VLM and
no
creditors of the variable interest entities have recourse to the general credit of the Company as a result of including VLUS & VLM in the consolidated financial statements. The accounts of VLM and VLUS have been consolidated with the accounts of the Company.
 
On
May 31, 2016
, Flexo Universal purchased the equipment from VLM for
8,700,000
in Mexican Pesos and the lease was terminated.
 
Mr. Schwan and Mr. Merrick
are partial owners of Clever Container, an Illinois limited liability company engaged in the sale and distribution through a network of independent distributors, of household items including containers and organizing products. Together they own roughly half of Clever Container. The Company acquired a
28.5%
interest in Clever Container from
third
parties in
2016.
The Company produces and sells certain container products to Clever Container and also purchases and re-sells products to Clever Container. By reason of the level of ownership of Clever Container by
two
principal officers and/or shareholders of the Company, the ownership interest of the Company in Clever Container and the transactions among the Company and Clever Container, the determination was made to consolidate the results of Clever Container in the consolidated financial statements of the Company commencing as of
October 1, 2013
and going forward.
 
The following sets forth the
condensed balance sheet of VLM, VLUS and Clever Container for
December 31, 2017
and
2016.
 
   
Dec. 31, 201
7
   
Dec. 31, 2016
 
Current Assets
  $
608,000
    $
794,000
 
Property, plant and equipment, net
   
231,000
     
125,000
 
Other noncurrent assets
   
740,000
     
794,000
 
Total assets
  $
1,579,000
    $
1,713,000
 
                 
Mortgages and other long-term debt payable
  $
2,062,000
    $
1,962,000
 
Total liabilities
  $
2,062,000
    $
1,962,000