2.	SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements of PCA include all majority-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated. The Company has two joint ventures that are accounted for under the equity method.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts in the financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include all cash balances and highly liquid investments with a maturity, when acquired, of three months or less. Cash equivalents are stated at cost, which approximates market.

Accounts Receivable

The collectibility of PCA’s accounts receivable is based upon a combination of factors. In circumstances where a specific customer is unable to meet its financial obligations to PCA (e.g., bankruptcy filings, substantial downgrading of credit sources), a specific reserve for bad debts is recorded against amounts due to the Company to reduce the net recorded receivable to the amount the Company reasonably believes will be collected. For all other customers, reserves for bad debts are recognized based on historical collection experience. If collection experience deteriorates (i.e., higher than expected defaults or an unexpected material adverse change in a major customer’s ability to meet its financial obligations to the Company), the estimate of the recoverability of amounts due could be reduced by a material amount.

The customer deductions reserve represents the estimated amount required for customer returns, allowances and earned discounts. Based on the Company’s experience, customer returns, allowances and earned discounts have averaged 1.0% of gross selling price. Accordingly, PCA reserves 1.0% of its open customer accounts receivable balance for these items.

At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the allowance for doubtful accounts was $1.9 million for both years. The reserve for customer deductions of $3.4 million and $3.1 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, are also included as a reduction of the accounts receivable balance.

Inventories

With the exception of inventories at corrugated products plants acquired since 2004, raw materials, work in process and finished goods are valued using the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) cost method. Inventories at the acquired plants are valued at the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) cost method. Supplies and materials are valued using a moving average cost. All inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market and include all costs directly associated with manufacturing products: materials, labor and manufacturing overhead. Inventories valued using the LIFO method totaled $194.0 million and $197.3 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, compared to total inventory values (before the LIFO inventory reserve) of $332.3 million and $324.0 million for the same respective periods.

The components of inventories are as follows:


	December 31,
	2012			2011
	(In thousands)
Raw materials	$	125,909		$	126,489
Work in process		8,287			7,610
Finished goods		78,788			74,391
Supplies and materials		119,284			115,541

Inventories at FIFO or average cost		332,268			324,031
Excess of FIFO or average cost over LIFO cost		(63,501	)		(69,356	)

Inventories, net	$	268,767		$	254,675

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost, and consist of the following:


	December 31,
	2012			2011
	(In thousands)
Land and land improvements	$	107,250		$	102,483
Buildings		390,363			377,664
Machinery and equipment		3,048,932			3,045,145
Construction in progress		67,051			66,098
Other		27,196			27,170

Property, plant and equipment, at cost		3,640,792			3,618,560
Less accumulated depreciation		(2,274,723	)		(2,141,906	)

Property, plant and equipment, net	$	1,366,069		$	1,476,654

The amount of interest capitalized from construction in progress was $0.8 million, $7.1 million and $4.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Depreciation is computed on the straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Assets under capital leases are depreciated on the straight-line method over the term of the lease or the useful life, if shorter. The following lives are used for the various categories of assets:


Buildings and land improvements			5 to 40 years
Machinery and equipment			3 to 25 years
Trucks and automobiles			3 to 10 years
Furniture and fixtures			3 to 20 years
Computers and hardware			3 to 7 years
			Period of the lease or
Leasehold improvements			useful life, if shorter

The amount of depreciation expense was $166.0 million, $161.5 million and $154.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.

Pursuant to the terms of an industrial revenue bond, title to certain property, plant and equipment was transferred to a municipal development authority in 2009 in order to receive a property tax abatement. The title of these assets will revert back to PCA upon retirement or cancellation of the bond. The assets are included in the consolidated balance sheet under the caption “Property, plant and equipment, net” as all risks and rewards remain with the Company.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

The Company has capitalized certain intangible assets, primarily customer relationships, covenants not to compete and goodwill, based on their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. Amortization is provided for customer relationships on a straight-line basis over periods ranging from six to 40 years. Covenants not to compete are amortized on a straight-line basis over the terms of the respective agreements.

Goodwill, which amounted to $67.2 million and $58.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, is not being amortized but is subject to an annual impairment test in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 350, “Intangibles — Goodwill and Other.” The Company performs the impairment test at year end or sooner if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may exceed fair value. Recoverability of goodwill is determined by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying value, including goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds the fair value, the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill is compared to the carrying amount of its goodwill to determine if a write-down to fair value is necessary. The Company concluded that no impairment of goodwill existed at the time of the annual impairment tests in 2012, 2011 and 2010.

Other Long-Term Assets

PCA has capitalized certain costs related to obtaining its financing. These costs are amortized to interest expense using the effective interest rate method over the terms of the senior credit facilities and senior notes, which range from five to ten years. Unamortized deferred financing costs were $5.0 million and $2.6 million as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

PCA leases the cutting rights to approximately 88,000 acres of timberland and capitalizes the annual lease payments and reforestation costs associated with these leases. These costs are recorded as depletion when timber is harvested and used in PCA’s business operations or sold to customers. Capitalized long-term lease costs were $27.4 million and $26.2 million as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The amount of depletion expense was $0.7 million, $0.04 million and $0.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

PCA capitalizes certain costs related to the purchase and development of software which is used in its business operations. The costs attributable to these software systems are amortized over their estimated useful lives based on various factors such as the effects of obsolescence, technology and other economic factors. Net capitalized software costs were $1.1 million and $1.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Software amortization expense was $0.9 million, $0.6 million and $0.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets other than goodwill are reviewed for impairment in accordance with provisions of ASC 360, “Property, Plant and Equipment.” In the event that facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of any long-lived assets may be impaired, an evaluation of recoverability would be performed. If an evaluation is required, the estimated future undiscounted cash flows associated with the asset (or group of assets) would be compared to the asset’s (or group of assets’) carrying amount to determine if a write-down to fair value is required. The Company concluded that no impairment of long-lived assets existed in 2012, 2011 and 2010.

Pension and Postretirement Benefits

One of the principal assumptions used to calculate net periodic pension cost is the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets. The expected long-term rate of return on plan assets may result in recognized returns that are greater or less than the actual returns on those plan assets in any given year. Over time, however, the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets is designed to approximate the actual long term returns.

The discount rate assumptions used to calculate net periodic pension and postretirement cost reflect the rates available on high-quality, fixed-income debt instruments on December 31st of each year. The rate of compensation increase is another significant assumption used to calculate net periodic pension cost and is determined by the Company based upon annual reviews.

For postretirement health care plan accounting, the Company reviews external data and its own historical trends for health care costs to determine the health care cost trend rate assumption.

Environmental Matters

Environmental expenditures related to existing conditions resulting from past or current operations from which no current or future benefit is discernible are expensed as incurred. Environmental expenditures that extend the life of the related property or mitigate or prevent future environmental contamination are capitalized. Liabilities are recorded for environmental contingencies when such costs are probable and reasonably estimable. These liabilities are adjusted as further information develops or circumstances change.

Asset Retirement Obligations

The Company accounts for its retirement obligations related to its landfills under ASC 410, “Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations,” which requires legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets to be recognized at their fair value at the time that the obligations are incurred. Upon initial recognition of a liability, that cost is capitalized as part of the related long-lived asset and amortized to expense over the useful life of the asset.

Income Taxes

PCA utilizes the liability method of accounting for income taxes whereby it recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences of temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements. Deferred tax assets will be reduced by a valuation allowance if, based upon management’s estimates, it is more likely than not that a portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized in a future period. The estimates utilized in the recognition of deferred tax assets are subject to revision in future periods based on new facts or circumstances.

PCA’s practice is to recognize interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

PCA measures the fair value of its financial instruments in accordance with ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures.” The guidance defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. It is determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, ASC 820 establishes the following hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation methodologies used to measure fair value:

Level 1 — Valuations based on quoted prices for identical assets and liabilities in active markets.

Level 2 — Valuations based on observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.

Level 3 — Valuations based on unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.

The Company measures the fair value of money market funds based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. See Note 6 for information about PCA’s pension plans’ assets measured at fair value and Note 10 for information about PCA’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value.

Planned Major Maintenance Activities

The Company accounts for its planned major maintenance activities in accordance with ASC 360, “Property, Plant, and Equipment,” using the deferral method. All maintenance costs incurred during the year are expensed in the year in which the maintenance activity occurs.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue as title to the products is transferred to customers. Shipping and handling billings to a customer are included in net sales. Shipping and handling costs are included in cost of sales. In addition, the Company offers volume rebates to certain of its customers. The total cost of these programs is estimated and accrued as a reduction to net sales at the time of the respective sale.

Research and Development

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. The amount charged to expense was $11.3 million, $12.5 million and $10.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Trade Agreements

PCA regularly trades containerboard with other manufacturers primarily to reduce shipping costs. These agreements are entered into with other producers on an annual basis, pursuant to which both parties agree to ship an identical number of tons of containerboard to each other within the agreement period. These agreements lower transportation costs by allowing each party’s containerboard mills to ship containerboard to the other party’s closest corrugated products plant. PCA tracks each shipment to ensure that the other party’s shipments to PCA match PCA’s shipments to the other party during the agreement period. Such transfers are possible because containerboard is a commodity product with no distinguishing product characteristics. These transactions are accounted for at carrying value, and revenue is not recorded as the transactions do not represent the culmination of an earnings process. The transactions are recorded into inventory accounts, and no income is recorded until such inventory is converted to a finished product and sold to an end-use customer.

Segment Information

PCA is engaged in one line of business: the integrated manufacture and sale of packaging materials, boxes and containers for industrial and consumer markets. No single customer accounts for more than 10% of total net sales.

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

The Company records its derivatives in accordance with ASC 815, “Derivatives and Hedging.” The guidance requires the Company to recognize derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities in the balance sheet at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value of a derivative depends on the intended use and designation of the derivative instrument. For a derivative designated as a fair value hedge, the gain or loss on the derivative is recognized in earnings in the period of change in fair value together with the offsetting gain or loss on the hedged item. For a derivative instrument designated as a cash flow hedge, the effective portion of the derivative’s gain or loss is initially reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“OCI”) and is subsequently recognized in earnings when the hedged exposure affects earnings. The ineffective portion of the gain or loss is recognized in earnings.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In July 2012, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2012-02, “Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) — Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment.” The amendments in this ASU allow an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform a quantitative impairment test. An entity would not be required to calculate the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset unless the entity determines, based on a qualitative assessment, that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. The amendments in this ASU are effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012. Early adoption is permitted. The Company will comply with the provisions of ASU 2012-02 upon its adoption on January 1, 2013. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have any impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-12, “Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) — Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05.” This ASU effectively defers only those changes in Update 2011-05 as discussed below that relate to the presentation of reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive income and gives the FASB additional time to redeliberate the presentation requirements for reclassification adjustments. The amendments in this ASU are effective for public entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company has complied with the provisions of ASU 2011-12 upon its adoption on January 1, 2012.

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-08, “Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) — Testing Goodwill for Impairment,” which simplifies how entities test goodwill for impairment. The amendments in this update provide an entity the option to make a qualitative evaluation about the likelihood of goodwill impairment to determine whether it should calculate the fair value of a reporting unit. ASU 2011-08 is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this guidance on January 1, 2012 did not impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, “Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) — Presentation of Comprehensive Income.” The amendments in this ASU require that all nonowner changes in stockholders’ equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The provisions in this update should be applied retrospectively and are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company has complied with the additional provisions of ASU 2011-05 upon its adoption on January 1, 2012. See Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income for additional information.

In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-04, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) — Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs.” The amendments in this ASU clarify the application of existing fair value measurement and disclosure requirements, which will improve the comparability of fair value measurements presented and disclosed in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and IFRSs. ASU 2011-04 is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this guidance did not have any impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. See Note 10 for additional information.