DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Derivative Financial Instruments [Abstract]

Derivative Financial Instruments

NOTE 7. DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Effective September 30, 2011, the Company entered into an interest rate swap agreement with an initial notional amount of $40.0 million to manage its exposure to interest rate changes on the senior term loan.  The swap effectively converts a portion of the Company's variable rate debt under the new term loan to a fixed rate for a period of two years and without exchanging the notional principal amounts.

Under this agreement, the Company receives a floating rate based on the 90-day LIBOR rate and pays a fixed rate of 4.18% (including the applicable margin of 3.50%) on the outstanding notional amount. The swap fixed rate was structured to mirror the payment terms of the senior term loan for the period hedged.  The fair value of the swap at inception was zero.  It is not expected that any gains or losses will be reported in the statement of operations during the term of the agreement as the swap is expected to be highly effective through its maturity based on the matching terms of the swap and facility agreements.  The interest rate swap agreement matures on September 30, 2013.

If, at any time, the swap is determined to be ineffective, in whole or in part, due to changes in the interest rate swap or underlying debt agreements, the fair value of the portion of the swap determined to be ineffective will be recognized as a gain or loss in the statement of operations for the applicable period.

The fair value effect on the financial statements from the interest rate swap designated as a cash flow hedge is as follows:

	March 31,		December 31,		Three Months Ended March 31,
	2012		2011		2012			2011
Other long-term liabilities	$	68	$	-
Other noncurrent assets	$	-	$	6
Gain (loss) recognized in other comprehensive income, net of tax					$	(44	)	$	54