Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Significant Accounting Policies

v2.4.0.6
Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 29, 2012
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Significant Accounting Policies
Significant Accounting Policies
 
Trade receivables:  We carry unsecured trade receivables at the original invoice amount less an estimate made for doubtful accounts based on a monthly review of all outstanding amounts.  Management determines the allowance for doubtful accounts by regularly evaluating individual customer receivables and considering a customer’s financial condition, credit history and current economic conditions.  We write off trade receivables when we deem them uncollectible.  We record recoveries of trade receivables previously written off when we receive them.  We consider a trade receivable to be past due if any portion of the receivable balance is outstanding for more than ninety days.  We do not charge interest on past due receivables.  Our management considers the allowance for doubtful accounts of $7 and $18 to be adequate to cover any exposure to loss at September 29, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively.
 
Inventories:  Inventories, consisting principally of appliances, are stated at the lower of cost, determined on a specific identification basis, or market and consist of:
 
 
 
September 29,
2012
 
December 31,
2011
Appliances held for resale
 
$
20,432

 
$
18,291

Processed metals from recycled appliances held for resale
 
246

 
250

Less provision for inventory obsolescence
 
(162
)
 
(85
)
 
 
$
20,516

 
$
18,456


 
We provide estimated provisions for the obsolescence of our appliance inventories, including adjustments to market, based on various factors, including the age of such inventory and our management’s assessment of the need for such provisions.  We look at historical inventory agings and margin analysis in determining our provision estimate.  A revised cost basis is used once a provision for obsolescence is recorded.
Property and equipment:  Property and equipment consists of the following:
 
 
 
September 29,
2012
 
December 31,
2011
Land
 
$
1,140

 
$
1,140

Buildings and improvements
 
3,425

 
3,303

Equipment (including computer software)
 
20,047

 
19,472

Projects under construction
 
113

 
35

 
 
24,725

 
23,950

Less accumulated depreciation and amortization
 
(12,256
)
 
(11,415
)
 
 
$
12,469

 
$
12,535


 
Software development costs:  We capitalize software developed for internal use and are amortizing such costs over their estimated useful lives of three years.  Costs capitalized were $30 and $57 for the three months ended September 29, 2012 and October 1, 2011, respectively.  Costs capitalized were $115 and $133 for the nine months ended September 29, 2012 and October 1, 2011, respectively.
 
Product warranty:  We provide a warranty for the replacement or repair of certain defective units which varies based on the product sold.  Our standard warranty policy requires us to repair or replace certain defective units at no cost to our customers.  We estimate the costs that may be incurred under our warranty and record an accrual in the amount of such costs at the time we recognize product revenue.  Factors that affect our warranty accrual for covered units include the number of units sold, historical and anticipated rates of warranty claims on these units, and the cost of such claims.  We periodically assess the adequacy of our recorded warranty accrual and adjust the amounts as necessary.
 
Changes in our warranty accrual are as follows:
 
 
 
Three Months Ended
 
Nine Months Ended
 
 
September 29, 2012
 
October 1, 2011
 
September 29, 2012
 
October 1, 2011
Beginning Balance
 
$
61

 
$
59

 
$
71

 
$
36

Standard accrual based on units sold
 
10

 
35

 
34

 
86

Actual costs incurred
 
(4
)
 
(4
)
 
(12
)
 
(12
)
Periodic accrual adjustments
 
(12
)
 
(12
)
 
(38
)
 
(32
)
Ending Balance
 
$
55

 
$
78

 
$
55

 
$
78


 
Share-based compensation:  We recognize share-based compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period for all share-based awards granted.  We use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of awards at the grant date.  We calculate the expected volatility for stock awards using historical volatility.  We estimate a 0%-5% forfeiture rate for stock awards issued to all employees and members of the Board of Directors, but will continue to review these estimates in future periods.  The risk-free rates for the expected terms of the stock awards are based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant.  The expected life represents the period that the stock awards are expected to be outstanding.  The expected dividend yield is zero as we have not paid or declared any cash dividends on our Common Stock.  Based on these valuations, we recognized share-based compensation expense of $62 and $120 for the three months ended September 29, 2012 and October 1, 2011, respectively, and $130 and $333 for the nine months ended September 29, 2012 and October 1, 2011, respectively.  We estimate that the remaining expense for fiscal 2012 will be approximately $40 based on the value of stock awards outstanding as of September 29, 2012.  This estimate does not include any expense for additional awards that may be granted and vest during 2012.
 
Comprehensive income (loss):  Other comprehensive income (loss) refers to revenues, expenses, gains and losses that under generally accepted accounting principles are included in comprehensive income but are excluded from net income as these amounts are recorded directly as an adjustment to shareholders’ equity.  Our other comprehensive income (loss) is comprised of foreign currency translation adjustments.
 
Basic and diluted income (loss) per share:  Basic income (loss) per common share is computed based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding.  Diluted income (loss) per common share is computed based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding adjusted by the number of additional shares that would have been outstanding had the potentially dilutive common shares been issued.  Potentially dilutive shares of Common Stock include unexercised stock options and warrants.  Basic per share amounts are computed, generally, by dividing net income (loss) attributable to controlling interest by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding.  Diluted per share amounts assume the conversion, exercise or issuance of all potential Common Stock instruments unless their effect is anti-dilutive, thereby reducing the loss or increasing the income per common share.  In calculating diluted weighted average shares and per share amounts, we included stock options and warrants with exercise prices below average market prices, for the respective reporting periods in which they were dilutive, using the treasury stock method.  We calculated the number of additional shares by assuming the outstanding stock options were exercised and that the proceeds from such exercises were used to acquire Common Stock at the average market price during the quarter.  For the three and nine months ended September 29, 2012, we excluded 816 and 798, respectively, options and warrants from the diluted weighted average share outstanding calculation as the effect of these options and warrants is anti-dilutive due to the net loss incurred.  For the three and nine months ended October 1, 2011, we excluded 246 and 264, respectively, options and warrants from the diluted weighted average share outstanding calculation as the effect of these options and warrants is anti-dilutive.
 
A reconciliation of the denominator in the basic and diluted income or loss per share is as follows:
 
 
 
Three Months Ended
 
Nine Months Ended
 
 
September 29, 2012
 
October 1, 2011
 
September 29, 2012
 
October 1, 2011
Numerator:
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Net income (loss) attributable to controlling interest
 
$
(1,082
)
 
$
1,756

 
$
(1,789
)
 
$
4,458

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Denominator:
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Weighted average shares outstanding — basic
 
5,556

 
5,493

 
5,549

 
5,493

Employee stock options
 

 
118

 

 
108

Stock warrants
 

 
210

 

 
208

Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted
 
5,556

 
5,821

 
5,549

 
5,809

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Income (loss) per share:
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Basic
 
$
(0.19
)
 
$
0.32

 
$
(0.32
)
 
$
0.81

Diluted
 
$
(0.19
)
 
$
0.30

 
$
(0.32
)
 
$
0.77