Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits

10. Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits

U.S. Pension Plan

The Company maintains a defined benefit pension plan for its domestic employees (the “U.S. Plan”), which was frozen effective July 15, 2005. Accordingly, no new benefits are being accrued under the U.S. Plan. Participant accounts are credited with interest at the federally mandated rates. Company contributions are based on computations by independent actuaries.

The plan’s assets are invested in a balanced index fund (the “Fund”) where the assets were invested during 2009, 2010 and 2011. The principal investment objective of the Fund is to provide an incremental risk adjusted return compared to a portfolio invested 50% in stocks and 50% in bonds over a full market cycle. Under normal market conditions, the average asset allocation for the Fund is expected to be approximately 50% in stocks and 50% in bonds. This benchmark allocation may be adjusted by up to 20% based on economic or market conditions and liquidity needs. Therefore, the stock allocation may fluctuate from 30% to 70% of the total portfolio, with a corresponding bond allocation of from 70% to 30%. Fund reallocation may take place at any time.

Canadian Pension Plan

Effective January 1, 2009, the Company converted its pension plan for its Canadian employees (the “Canadian Plan”) from a noncontributory defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan. Until the conversion, benefits for the salaried employees were based on specified percentages of the employees’ monthly compensation. The conversion of the Canadian Plan has the effect of freezing the accrual of future defined benefits under the plan. Under the defined contribution plan, the Company will contribute 3% of employee compensation plus 50% of employee elective contributions up to a maximum contribution of 5% of employee compensation.

The Canadian Plan’s assets are invested in various pooled funds (the “Canadian Funds”) managed by a third party fund manager. The principal investment objective of the Canadian Funds is to provide an incremental risk adjusted return compared to a portfolio invested 50% in stocks and 50% in bonds over a full market cycle. Under normal market conditions, the average asset allocation for the Canadian Funds is expected to be approximately 50% in stocks and 50% in bonds. This benchmark allocation may be adjusted based on economic or market conditions and liquidity needs.

In August 2006, the Pension Protection Act of 2006 was signed into law. The major provisions of the statute took effect January 1, 2008. Among other things, the statute is designed to ensure timely and adequate funding of pension plans by shortening the time period within which employers must fully fund pension benefits. Contributions to be made to the plan in 2012 are expected to approximate $220,000 for the U.S. Plan and $70,000 for the Canadian Plan. However, contributions for 2013 and beyond have not been quantified at this time.

The change in projected benefit obligation, change in plan assets and reconciliation of funded status for the plans were as follows:

	Pension Benefits
	U.S. Plan						Canadian Plan
	2011			2010			2011			2010
Change in projected benefit obligation
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	3,176,669		$	2,951,717		$	1,262,526		$	1,193,120
Service cost		21,100			21,200			—			—
Interest cost		172,221			174,649			76,866			78,845
Benefit payments		(72,132	)		(150,469	)		(94,262	)		(95,741	)
Administrative expenses		(24,669	)		(23,928	)		—			—
Actuarial (gain) loss		556,538			203,500			227,666			27,285
Plan amendments		—			—			—			—
Currency translation adjustment		—			—			(31,314	)		59,016
Settlements		—			—			—			—
Projected benefit obligation at end of year		3,829,727			3,176,669			1,441,482			1,262,525
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year		1,835,326			1,777,441			1,203,920			1,152,228
Actual return on plan assets		117,350			187,405			44,198			21,653
Benefit payments		(72,132	)		(150,469	)		(94,262	)		(95,741	)
Employer contribution		211,996			44,877			83,036			69,232
Administrative expenses		(24,669	)		(23,928	)		—			—
Currency translation adjustment		—			—			(24,725	)		56,547
Fair value of plan assets at end of year		2,067,871			1,835,326			1,212,167			1,203,919
Plan assets (less) greater than benefit obligation	$	(1,761,856	)	$	(1,341,343	)	$	(229,316	)	$	(58,606	)

The net amounts recognized on the consolidated balance sheets were as follows:

	U.S. Plan						Canadian Plan
	2011			2010			2011			2010
Non-current liabilities		(1,761,856	)		(1,341,343	)		(229,316	)		(58,606	)
Net amount recognized	$	(1,761,856	)	$	(1,341,343	)	$	(229,316	)	$	(58,606	)

Amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss at year end, consist of:

	U.S. Plan				Canadian Plan
	2011		2010		2011		2010
Unrecognized net loss	$	1,413,239	$	883,234	$	544,514	$	305,431
	$	1,413,239	$	883,234	$	544,514	$	305,431

The estimated net loss that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive income for net periodic pension cost over the next year is $94,000 and $34,000 for the U.S. Plan and Canadian Plan, respectively.

Net pension expense is included in selling, administrative and general expenses on the consolidated statements of operations. The components of net pension expense for the plans were as follows:

	U.S. Plan									Canadian Plan
	2011			2010			2009			2011			2010			2009
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	$	21,100		$	21,200		$	21,220		$	—		$	—		$	5,810
Interest cost		172,221			174,649			173,030			76,866			78,845			63,206
Expected return on plan assets		(142,104	)		(132,093	)		(134,666	)		(84,452	)		(81,273	)		(70,688	)
Net actuarial loss		51,287			42,191			45,251			—			—			—
Amortization of prior service cost		—			—			—			15,070			7,380			5,282
Net periodic benefit cost	$	102,504		$	105,947		$	104,835		$	7,484		$	4,952		$	3,609

The Fair Value Measurements and Disclosure Topic require the categorization of financial assets and liabilities, based on the inputs to the valuation technique, into a three-level fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to the quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities and lowest priority to unobservable inputs. The fair value hierarchy are described as follows:

Level 1 –	Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on unadjusted quoted market prices for identical assets and liabilities in an active market that the Company has the ability to access.
Level 2 –	Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or model inputs that are observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.
Level 3 –	Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

The fair value hierarchy of the plan assets are as follows:

		December 31, 2011
		US Plan		Canadian Plan
Cash and cash equivalents	Level 1	$	—	$	59,471
Mutual funds	Level 1		—		1,169,068
Pooled separate accounts	Level 2		2,067,871		—
Total		$	2,067,871	$	1,228,539

The plans’ weighted-average allocations by asset category are as follows:

	December 31, 2011
	US Plan			Canadian Plan
Equities		50	%		39	%
Fixed income		50	%		61	%
Total		100	%		100	%

Expected benefits to be paid by the plans during the next five years and in the aggregate for the five fiscal years thereafter, are as follows:

	U.S. Plan		Canadian Plan
2012	$	119,000	$	91,373
2013		133,000		90,099
2014		135,000		86,275
2015		140,000		82,158
2016		139,000		77,746
2017 through 2021		780,000		313,336

Benefit obligations are determined using assumptions at the end of each fiscal year and are not impacted by expected rate of return on plan assets. The weighted average assumptions used in computing the benefit obligations for the plans were as follows:

	U.S. Plan						Canadian Plan
	2011			2010			2011			2010
Weighted average assumptions as of December 31:
Discount rate		4.50	%		5.50	%		4.13	%		6.25	%
Rate of compensation increase		—			—			2.00	%		2.00	%

The weighted average assumptions used in computing net pension expense for the plans were as follows:

	U.S. Plan						Canadian Plan
	2011			2010			2011			2010
Weighted average assumptions as of December 31:
Discount rate		5.50	%		6.00	%		6.25	%		6.75	%
Expected return on plan assets		7.50	%		7.50	%		7.00	%		7.00	%
Rate of compensation increase		—			—			2.00	%		2.00	%

The expected return on plan assets is based upon anticipated returns generated by the investment vehicle. Any shortfall in the actual return has the effect of increasing the benefit obligation. The benefit obligation represents the actuarial present value of benefits attributed to employee service rendered; assuming future compensation levels are used to measure the obligation. The accumulated benefit obligation for the U.S. Plan was $3,829,727 and $3,176,669 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The accumulated benefit obligation for the Canadian Plan was $1,441,482 and $1,262,525 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Death Benefit Plan

The Company also provides a death benefit for retired former employees of the Company. Effective in 2000, the Company discontinued this benefit for active employees. The death benefit is not a funded plan. The Company pays the benefit upon the death of the retiree. The Company has fully recorded its liability in connection with this plan. The liability was approximately $64,000 and $66,000 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and is recorded as long-term pension and other benefits in the accompanying balance sheets. No expense was recorded in 2011, 2010 or 2009 related to the death benefit, as the Plan is closed to new participants.

Defined Contribution Plan

During 1999, the Company established a 401(k) plan for the benefit of its U.S. full-time employees. Under the Company’s 401(k) plan, the Company makes an employer matching contribution equal to $0.10 for each $1.00 of an employee’s salary contributions up to a total of 10% of that employee’s compensation. The Company’s contributions vest over a period of five years. The Company recorded expense of approximately $4,000, $12,000 and $6,000 in connection with its contribution to the plan during 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Effective January 1, 2009, the Company converted the Canadian Plan from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan. Under the defined contribution plan, the Company will contribute 3% of employee compensation plus 50% of employee elective contributions up to a maximum contribution of 5% of employee compensation. The Company recorded expense of approximately $4,000, $4,000 and $6,000 in connection with its contribution to the plan during 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.