7. INVESTMENTS

The Company is a member of a joint venture, LB Pipe & Coupling Products, LLC (LB Pipe JV), in which it maintains a 45% ownership interest. The LB Pipe JV manufactures, markets, and sells various precision coupling products for the energy, utility, and construction markets and is scheduled to terminate on June 30, 2019.

Under applicable guidance for variable interest entities in ASC 810, “Consolidation,” the Company determined that the LB Pipe JV is a variable interest entity. The Company concluded that it is not the primary beneficiary of the variable interest entity, as the Company does not have a controlling financial interest and does not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the LB Pipe JV. Accordingly, the Company concluded that the equity method of accounting remains appropriate.

As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company had a nonconsolidated equity method investment of $5,845 and $5,746, respectively, in the LB Pipe JV and other investments totaling $62 and $78, respectively.

The Company recorded equity in the income of the LB Pipe JV of approximately $189 and $204 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. During the periods ending March 31, 2015 and 2014 the Company received cash distributions of $90. There were no changes to the Company’s 45% ownership interest as a result of the proportional distribution.

The Company’s exposure to loss results from its capital contributions, net of the Company’s share of the LB Pipe JV’s income or loss, and its net investment in the direct financing lease covering the facility used by the LB Pipe JV for its operations. The carrying amounts with the maximum exposure to loss of the Company at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, are as follows:



		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014

LB Pipe JV equity method investment	$	5,845	$	5,746
Net investment in direct financing lease		1,087		1,117
	$	6,932	$	6,863

The Company is leasing five acres of land and two facilities to the LB Pipe JV through June 30, 2019, with a 5.5 year renewal period. The current monthly lease payments approximate $17, with a balloon payment of approximately $488, which is required to be paid either at the termination of the lease, allocated over the renewal period, or during the initial term of the lease. This lease qualifies as a direct financing lease under the applicable guidance in ASC 840-30, “Leases.”

The following is a schedule of the direct financing minimum lease payments for the remainder of 2015 and the years 2016 and thereafter:



		Minimum Lease Payments
2015	$	92
2016		131
2017		140
2018		150
2019		574
2020 and thereafter		-
	$	1,087