Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Profile

The core competency of the Company is flow measurement solutions. The Company is a leading innovator, manufacturer and marketer of flow measurement and control products, serving water and gas utilities, municipalities and industrial customers worldwide. Measuring a wide variety of liquids ranging from water and oil to lubricants in industrial processes, the Company's products are known for their high degree of accuracy, long-lasting durability and ability to provide valuable and timely measurement information to customers. The Company's product lines fall into three categories: sales of water meters and related technologies to municipal water utilities (municipal water), sales of meters to various industries for water and other fluids (industrial flow) and sales of concrete vibrators and gas meter radios to unique markets (specialty products). The Company estimates that over 75% of its products are used in water applications when all categories are grouped together.

Municipal water, the largest category by sales volume, includes water meters and related technologies and services used by water utilities as the basis for generating water and wastewater revenues. The key market for the Company's water meter products is North America, primarily the United States, because the meters are designed and manufactured to conform to standards promulgated by the American Water Works Association. Sales of water meters and related technologies and services are commonly referred to as residential or commercial water meter sales, the latter referring to larger sizes of meters.

Industrial flow includes products sold worldwide to measure and control materials flowing through a pipe or pipeline including water, air, steam, oil, and other liquids and gases. These meters and valves are used in a variety of applications, such as water/wastewater; heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC); oil and gas; chemical and petrochemical; food and beverage; and pharmaceutical production.

Specialty products include sales of radio technology to natural gas utilities for installation on their gas meters, and concrete vibrators.

Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Receivables

Receivables consist primarily of trade receivables. The Company does not require collateral or other security and evaluates the collectability of its receivables based on a number of factors. An allowance for doubtful accounts is recorded for significant past due receivable balances based on a review of the past due items and the customer's ability and likelihood to pay, as well as applying a historical write-off ratio to the remaining balances. Changes in the Company's allowance for doubtful accounts are as follows:



	Balance at beginning of year		Provision and reserve adjustments		Write-offs less recoveries			Reserve acquired			Balance at end of year
	(In thousands)
2012	$	298	$	138	$	(30	)	$	82	(a)	$	488
2011	$	441	$	91	$	(274	)	$	40	(b)	$	298
2010	$	291	$	227	$	(77	)	$	—		$	441

(a) The reserve increased $82,000 in 2012 related to the acquisition of Racine Federated, Inc. (“Racine Federated”). Refer to Note 3 “Acquisitions” for a description of the acquisition.

(b) The reserve increased $40,000 in 2011 related to the acquisition of Remag AG. Refer to Note 3 “Acquisitions” for a description of the acquisition.

Inventories

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined using the first-in, first-out method. The Company estimates and records provisions for obsolete inventories. Changes to the Company's obsolete inventories reserve are as follows:



	Balance at beginning of year		Net additions charged to earnings		Disposals			Balance at end of year
	(In thousands)
2012	$	2,680	$	1,082	$	(882	)	$	2,880
2011	$	2,775	$	328	$	(423	)	$	2,680
2010	$	2,042	$	1,345	$	(612	)	$	2,775

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is provided over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets by the straight-line method. The estimated useful lives of assets are: for land improvements, 15 years; for buildings and improvements, 10 — 39 years; and for machinery and equipment, 3 — 20 years.

Long-Lived Assets

Property, plant and equipment and identifiable intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. If the sum of the expected undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying value of the related asset or group of assets, a loss is recognized for the difference between the fair value and carrying value of the asset or group of assets. No adjustments were recorded as a result of these reviews during 2012, 2011 and 2010.

Intangible Assets

Intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives ranging from 10 to 20 years. The Company does not have any intangible assets deemed to have indefinite lives. Amortization expense recognized for the years ending December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 was $4.4 million, $2.3 million and $1.8 million, respectively. Amortization expense expected to be recognized is $4.7 million in each of the subsequent five years beginning with 2013. The carrying value and accumulated amortization by major class of intangible assets are as follows:



	December 31, 2012				December 31, 2011
	Gross carrying amount		Accumulated amortization		Gross carrying amount		Accumulated amortization
	(In thousands)
Technologies	$	43,828	$	7,609	$	31,928	$	5,150
Non-compete agreements	1,932		862		1,932		675
Licenses	650		390		650		373
Trademarks	150		150		150		145
Customer lists	3,423		483		3,423		291
Customer relationships	11,500		1,054		—		—
Trade names	8,223		807		2,523		292
Total intangibles	$	69,706	$	11,355	$	40,606	$	6,926

Goodwill

Goodwill is tested for impairment annually during the fourth fiscal quarter or more frequently if an event indicates that the goodwill might be impaired. Potential impairment is identified by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying value. No adjustments were recorded to goodwill as a result of these reviews during 2012, 2011 and 2010.

Goodwill was $35.9 million, $9.4 million and $9.2 million at December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The increases were the result of the Racine Federated, Inc. of Racine, Wisconsin acquisition in 2012, the Remag, AG of Bern, Switzerland acquisition in 2011 and the Cox Instruments, LLC of Scottsdale, Arizona acquisition in 2010. These acquisitions are further described in Note 3 “Acquisitions.”

Revenue Recognition

Revenues are generally recognized upon shipment of product, which corresponds with the transfer of title. The costs of shipping are billed to the customer upon shipment and are included in cost of sales. A small portion of the Company's sales includes shipments of products combined with services, such as meters sold with installation. The product and installation components of these multiple deliverable arrangements are considered separate units of accounting. The value of these separate units of accounting is determined based on their relative fair values determined on a stand-alone basis. Revenue is generally recognized when the last element of the multiple deliverable is delivered, which corresponds with installation and acceptance by the customer. The Company also sells a small number of extended support service agreements on certain products for the period subsequent to the normal support service provided with the original product sale. Revenue is recognized over the service agreement period, which is generally one year.

Warranty and After-Sale Costs

The Company estimates and records provisions for warranties and other after-sale costs in the period in which the sale is recorded, based on a lag factor and historical warranty claim experience. After-sale costs represent a variety of activities outside of the written warranty policy, such as investigation of unanticipated problems after the customer has installed the product, or analysis of water quality issues. Changes in the Company's warranty and after-sale costs reserve are as follows:



	Balance at beginning of year		Net additions charged to earnings			Costs incurred and adjustments			Reserve acquired			Balance at end of year
	(In thousands)
2012	$	1,593	$	719		$	(1,431	)	$	—		$	881
2011	$	889	$	1,592	(a)	$	(888	)	$	—		$	1,593
2010	$	907	$	552		$	(668	)	$	98	(b)	$	889


(a)	Included in the 2011 increase in the reserve was $0.6 million related to a specific product issue.


(b)	The reserve increased $98,000 in 2010 related to the acquisition of Cox Flow Measurement. Refer to Note 3 “Acquisitions” for a description of the acquisition.

Research and Development

Research and development costs are charged to expense as incurred and amounted to $9.6 million, $8.1 million and $7.2 million in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation Plans

As of December 31, 2012, the Company has an Omnibus Incentive Plan under which 700,000 shares are reserved for restricted stock and stock options grants for employees as well as stock grants for directors as described in Note 5 “Stock Compensation.” The plan was approved in 2011 and replaced all prior stock-based plans except for shares and options previously issued under those plans.

The Company recognizes the cost of stock-based awards in net earnings for all of its stock-based compensation plans on a straight-line basis over the service period of the awards. The Company estimates the fair value of its option awards using the Black-Scholes option-pricing formula, and records compensation expense for stock options ratably over the stock option grant's vesting period. The Company values restricted stock and stock grants for directors on the closing price of the Company's stock on the day the grant was awarded. Total stock compensation expense recognized by the Company was $1.3 million for 2012, $1.5 million for 2011 and $1.4 million for 2010.

Healthcare

The Company estimates and records provisions for healthcare claims incurred but not reported, based on medical cost trend analyses, reviews of subsequent payments made and estimates of unbilled amounts.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at December 31 are as follows:



	2012			2011
	(In thousands)
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	$	1,584		$	1,190
Unrecognized pension and postretirement benefit plan liabilities, net of tax	(15,532		)	(15,756		)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	$	(13,948	)	$	(14,566	)

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 reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Fair Value Measurements of Financial Instruments

The carrying amounts of cash, receivables and payables in the financial statements approximate their fair values due to the short-term nature of these financial instruments. Short-term debt is comprised of notes payable drawn against the Company's lines of credit and commercial paper. Because of its short-term nature, the carrying amount of the short-term debt also approximates fair value. Included in other assets is insurance policies on various individuals who were associated with the Company. The carrying amounts of these insurance policies approximates their fair value.

Subsequent Events

The Company evaluates subsequent events at the date of the balance sheet as well as conditions that arise after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are issued. The effects of conditions that existed at the date of the balance sheet date are recognized in the financial statements. Events and conditions arising after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are issued are evaluated to determine if disclosure is required to keep the financial statements from being misleading. To the extent such events and conditions exist, if any, disclosures are made regarding the nature of events and the estimated financial effects for those events and conditions. For purposes of preparing the accompanying consolidated financial statements and the notes to these financial statements, the Company evaluated subsequent events through the date the accompanying financial statements were issued.