Note 3 - Derivative Instruments and Fair Value

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Notes to Financial Statements

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Text Block]

3.     Derivative Instruments and Fair Value

Our use of derivative instruments has been to hedge interest rates. These derivative contracts are entered into with a financial institution. We do not use derivative instruments for trading purposes and we have procedures in place to monitor and control their use.

We record these derivative financial instruments on the condensed balance sheets at fair value. For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the effective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument is reported as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) and reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings.

Any ineffective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument for a cash flow hedge is recorded in the results of operations immediately. For derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments, the gain or loss is recognized in the results of operations immediately.

In March 2012, the Company entered into interest rate swaps with the objective of reducing our exposure to cash flow volatility arising from interest rate fluctuations associated with certain debt. The notional amount, maturity date, and currency of these contracts match those of the underlying debt. The Company has designated these interest rate swap contracts as cash flow hedges. The Company measures ineffectiveness by comparing the cumulative change in the forward contact with the cumulative change in the hedged item. No material ineffectiveness was recognized in the quarter ended March 31, 2016. The interest rate swap contract was terminated as of March 24, 2016. The Company paid approximately $4,000 at termination to settle the swap contract. As of December 31, 2015, we had a net deferred loss associated with cash flow hedges of approximately $4,500 due to the interest rate swap, which was included in Other Liabilities.

Fair Value

At March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the fair values of cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximated their carrying values because of the short-term nature of these instruments.

	March 31, 2016
	Carrying Amount		Fair Value
Debt
Short-term borrowings and long-term debt	$	31,228,152	$	31,228,152

	December 31, 2015
	Carrying Amount		Fair Value
Debt
Short-term borrowings and long-term debt	$	25,195,452	$	25,195,452

We estimated the fair value of debt using market quotes and calculations based on market rates.

The following table presents the fair values of those financial liabilities measured on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2015:

			Fair Value Measurements December 31, 2015
Description	Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable  Inputs (Level 3)
Interest Rate Swap, net	$	4,453		--	$	4,453		--
Total	$	4,453		--	$	4,453		--

The fair value of the Company’s interest rate swap was determined by comparing the fixed rate set at the inception of the transaction to the “replacement swap rate,” which represents the market rate for an offsetting interest rate swap with the same notional amounts and final maturity date. The market value is then determined by calculating the present value of the interest differential between the contractual swap and the replacement swap.