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, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Company had a nonconsolidated equity method investment of $4,996 and $5,246, respectively, in the LB Pipe JV and other equity investments totaling $128 and $75, respectively.

The Company recorded equity in the loss of the LB Pipe JV of $250 and equity in the income of the LB Pipe JV of $189 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. During the three-month period ending March 31, 2015, the Company received cash distributions of $90. There were no changes to the members’ ownership interests as a result of the distribution. During the three months ended March 31, 2016 the Company and the other 45% member each executed a revolving line of credit with the LB Pipe JV with an available limit of $750. At March 31, 2016, the Company and the other 45% member each loaned $575 to the LB Pipe JV in an effort to maintain compliance with the LB Pipe JV’s debt covenants with an unaffiliated bank. The Company’s loan with the LB Pipe JV matures on December 15, 2016.

The Company’s exposure to loss results from its capital contributions and loans, 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, which is described below. The carrying amounts with the maximum exposure to loss of the Company at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively, are as follows:



		March 31,		December 31,
		2016		2015

LB Pipe JV equity method investment	$	4,996	$	5,246
Loan receivable		575		-
Net investment in direct financing lease		960		995
	$	6,531	$	6,241

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 2016 and the years 2017 and thereafter:



		Minimum Lease Payments
2016	$	96
2017		140
2018		150
2019		574
	$	960