Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)

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Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)
3 Months Ended
Apr. 02, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Nature of business and basis of presentation
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation
 
Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. and subsidiaries (“we,” the “Company” or “ARCA”) are in the business of providing turnkey appliance recycling and replacement services for electric utilities and other sponsors of energy efficiency programs.  We also sell new major household appliances through a chain of Company-owned stores under the name ApplianceSmart®.  In addition, we have a 50% interest in a joint venture operating under the name ARCA Advanced Processing, LLC (“AAP”), which recycles appliances from twelve states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States for General Electric Company (“GE”) acting through its GE Appliances business component.  These appliances include units manufactured by GE as well as by other manufacturers.
 
The accompanying balance sheet as of January 2, 2016, which has been derived from audited consolidated financial statements, and the unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States of America for interim financial information and Article 8 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).  Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements.  In the opinion of management, normal and recurring adjustments and accruals considered necessary for a fair presentation for the periods indicated have been included.  Operating results for the three-month periods ended April 2, 2016 and April 4, 2015, are presented using 13-week periods.  The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results for the year.

In preparation of the Company’s financial statements, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities and related revenues and expenses during the reporting periods.  As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ significantly from these estimates.

These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto for the year ended January 2, 2016, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 4, 2016.
Principles of consolidation
Principles of consolidation:  The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. and our subsidiaries.  All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
 
ApplianceSmart, Inc., a Minnesota corporation, is a wholly owned subsidiary that was formed through a corporate reorganization in July 2011 to hold our business of selling new major household appliances through a chain of Company-owned retail stores.  ARCA Canada Inc., a Canadian corporation, is a wholly owned subsidiary that was formed in September 2006 to provide turnkey recycling services for electric utility energy efficiency programs.  ARCA Recycling, Inc., a California corporation, is a wholly owned subsidiary that was formed in November 1991 to provide turnkey recycling services for electric utility energy efficiency programs.  The operating results of our wholly owned subsidiaries are consolidated in our financial statements.
 
AAP is a joint venture that was formed in October 2009 between ARCA and 4301 Operations, LLC (“4301”) to support ARCA’s agreement, as amended, with GE acting through its GE Appliances business component.  Both ARCA and 4301 have a 50% interest in AAP.  Brian Conners, a member of the ARCA Board of Directors, has a controlling interest in 4301. GE sells its recyclable appliances generated from twelve states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States to ARCA, which collects, processes and recycles the appliances.  The agreement requires that ARCA will only recycle, and will not sell for re-use or resale, the recyclable appliances purchased from GE.  The term of the agreement is for six years from the first date of appliance collection, which was March 31, 2010.  The term of the agreement with GE was extended via amendments through May 31, 2016. AAP established a regional processing center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at which the recyclable appliances are processed.  AAP commenced operations in February 2010 and has the exclusive rights to service the GE agreement as a subcontractor for ARCA.  The financial position and results of operations of AAP are consolidated in our financial statements based on our conclusion that AAP is a variable interest entity due to our contribution in excess of 50% of the total equity, subordinated debt and other forms of financial support. We have a controlling financial interest in AAP, through our contractual agreement with GE, which is material to AAP, and we have provided substantial financial support to fund the operations of AAP since its inception.
New Accounting Standards Not Yet Effective
New Accounting Standards Not Yet Effective

Recent Accounting Pronouncements- New Accounting Standards:

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance creating Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Section 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”. The new section will replace Section 605, “Revenue Recognition” and creates modifications to various other revenue accounting standards for specialized transactions and industries. The section is intended to conform revenue accounting principles with a concurrently issued International Financial Reporting Standards with previously differing treatment between United States practice and those of much of the rest of the world, as well as, to enhance disclosures related to disaggregated revenue information. The updated guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within that reporting period. Early application is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. The Company will further study the implications of this statement in order to evaluate the expected impact on its consolidated financial statements.

ASU 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs:  This standard, which became effective January 3, 2016 for the Company, requires that debt issuance costs be presented as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of long-term debt on the balance sheet.  Presently, debt issuance costs are reported as an asset.  The new guidance aligns the presentation of debt issuance costs with debt discounts and premiums.  The standard is to be applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented.  The Company adopted this standard in 2016 with a reclassification of $67 of unamortized debt issuance costs to long term debt as of January 2, 2016.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330) Related to Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory which applies to all inventory except that which is measured using last-in, first-out (LIFO) or the retail inventory method. Inventory measured using first-in, first-out (FIFO) or average cost is included in the new amendments.  Inventory within the scope of the new guidance should be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. Subsequent measurement is unchanged for inventory measured using LIFO or the retail inventory method.  The amendments will take effect for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The new guidance should be applied prospectively, and earlier application is permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period.  We are evaluating the impact of the standard on the consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases.” ASU No. 2016-02 was issued to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing all lease transactions (with terms in excess of 12 months) on the balance sheet as a lease liability and a right-of-use asset (as defined). ASU No. 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with earlier application permitted. Upon adoption, the lessee will apply the new standard retrospectively to all periods presented or retrospectively using a cumulative effect adjustment in the year of adoption. The Company is currently assessing the effect that ASU No. 2016-02 will have on its results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

In 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, "Income Taxes Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes." ASU 2015-17 requires that all deferred tax assets and liabilities, along with any related valuation allowance, be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. ASU 2015-17 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with either prospective or retrospective application permitted. Early adoption is permitted. The Company plans to adopt this ASU for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company is evaluating the potential impact to its financial position and expects to reclassify material amounts of deferred income tax balances from current to noncurrent. The adoption of this standard will not impact its results of operations.